Has bmi range changed?
Kdp2015
Posts: 519 Member
I always thought a healthy bmi ranged from 20-25 but now lots of websites (nhs included) seem to be saying 18.5-25 is ok.
Can I check other peoples understanding of this?
I’m currently 20.8 and thought I would have to maintain at 20 but if this is the case maybe I can go lower and still be a healthy weight?
Can I check other peoples understanding of this?
I’m currently 20.8 and thought I would have to maintain at 20 but if this is the case maybe I can go lower and still be a healthy weight?
6
Replies
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I thought it was always from 18.5-2512
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It just seems odd tha the others (overweight, obese etc) are in 5s.
So I can assume 18.5-20 is still healthy?1 -
It changed many, many years ago, largely I believe to accomodate shorter people with slighter builds. B eing below 20 may or may not be appropriate for you.
For me, it wouldn't be remotely appropriate, but you can bet if the low end was 18.5 when I was late teens/early twenties I would have wanted to get down to that.7 -
I’m 5’10, not really sure how I’d describe my build - quite small I guess.1
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It just seems odd tha the others (overweight, obese etc) are in 5s.
So I can assume 18.5-20 is still healthy?
I think it depends on your build and ethnicity. If you are short or from an Asian background where you have a small body frame then there is a fair chance of it being healthy. If you are tall or with an African descent with a larger frame chances are it would be underweight for you.14 -
The change to include 18.5 to 20 in the healthy range was made, primarily, to accommodate shorter women and Asian populations.
Considering that the average height for women in parts of Asia including China is 5 ft or less, US/Canada 5ft 4", Europe 5ft 6", Mexico 5ft 2", it is a pretty safe bet to say that someone over 5ft and a bit would probably not fall under the shorter women category.
Based on various bmi revision discussions about people 5ft and under getting an "extra" BMI point, I would suspect the change was primarily aimed to accommodate people who are 5ft or less.
I've also seen pregnancy healthy weight gain guidelines treating sub 20 bmi differently.
In all, I strongly suspect that few women substantially taller than 5ft do as well in the 18.5 to 20 range as they would at 20 or above.8 -
Did I read this right? You are 5 ft 10 inches??
Of course nothing wrong with being 5 ft 10 in but it is quite tall for a woman and at least average for a man - the lower end of BMI being suitable mainly for shorter women would not apply to you.
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I always thought a healthy bmi ranged from 20-25 but now lots of websites (nhs included) seem to be saying 18.5-25 is ok.
Can I check other peoples understanding of this?
I’m currently 20.8 and thought I would have to maintain at 20 but if this is the case maybe I can go lower and still be a healthy weight?
you might want to look at your body fat and composition rather than just scale weight as you're right in the middle of a healthy BMI7 -
TavistockToad wrote: »I always thought a healthy bmi ranged from 20-25 but now lots of websites (nhs included) seem to be saying 18.5-25 is ok.
Can I check other peoples understanding of this?
I’m currently 20.8 and thought I would have to maintain at 20 but if this is the case maybe I can go lower and still be a healthy weight?
you might want to look at your body fat and composition rather than just scale weight as you're right in the middle of a healthy BMI
I would say low end for 5'10" as below 20 is mostly for shorter people. Studies I have seen on longevity indicate that below 20 is less healthy than the same difference above 25.4 -
I’m 145 atm I’ve been 135 before and didn’t feel too thin (I think that put me at 19.3 bmi) I think I’ve got at least 7lbs to go before the excess fat goes although I do have a bit more muscle now than when I was 135.2
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I always thought a healthy bmi ranged from 20-25 but now lots of websites (nhs included) seem to be saying 18.5-25 is ok.
Can I check other peoples understanding of this?
I’m currently 20.8 and thought I would have to maintain at 20 but if this is the case maybe I can go lower and still be a healthy weight?
It may be worth exploring why your goal is to go to the absolute bottom of the range. Is there a reason you want to go to a weight that's generally recommended only for shorter and petite women, or Asian women, when you're neither short nor petite?16 -
collectingblues wrote: »I always thought a healthy bmi ranged from 20-25 but now lots of websites (nhs included) seem to be saying 18.5-25 is ok.
Can I check other peoples understanding of this?
I’m currently 20.8 and thought I would have to maintain at 20 but if this is the case maybe I can go lower and still be a healthy weight?
It may be worth exploring why your goal is to go to the absolute bottom of the range. Is there a reason you want to go to a weight that's generally recommended only for shorter and petite women, or Asian women, when you're neither short nor petite?
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collectingblues wrote: »I always thought a healthy bmi ranged from 20-25 but now lots of websites (nhs included) seem to be saying 18.5-25 is ok.
Can I check other peoples understanding of this?
I’m currently 20.8 and thought I would have to maintain at 20 but if this is the case maybe I can go lower and still be a healthy weight?
It may be worth exploring why your goal is to go to the absolute bottom of the range. Is there a reason you want to go to a weight that's generally recommended only for shorter and petite women, or Asian women, when you're neither short nor petite?
you don't think you are thin now?6 -
TavistockToad wrote: »collectingblues wrote: »I always thought a healthy bmi ranged from 20-25 but now lots of websites (nhs included) seem to be saying 18.5-25 is ok.
Can I check other peoples understanding of this?
I’m currently 20.8 and thought I would have to maintain at 20 but if this is the case maybe I can go lower and still be a healthy weight?
It may be worth exploring why your goal is to go to the absolute bottom of the range. Is there a reason you want to go to a weight that's generally recommended only for shorter and petite women, or Asian women, when you're neither short nor petite?
you don't think you are thin now?
7 -
TavistockToad wrote: »collectingblues wrote: »I always thought a healthy bmi ranged from 20-25 but now lots of websites (nhs included) seem to be saying 18.5-25 is ok.
Can I check other peoples understanding of this?
I’m currently 20.8 and thought I would have to maintain at 20 but if this is the case maybe I can go lower and still be a healthy weight?
It may be worth exploring why your goal is to go to the absolute bottom of the range. Is there a reason you want to go to a weight that's generally recommended only for shorter and petite women, or Asian women, when you're neither short nor petite?
you don't think you are thin now?
Then work on recomping. You're hovering at a BMI that is the lowest end of the range for women who are *not* short, petite, or Asian. I'm 5'4" -- so half a foot shorter than you -- and my PCP and my endocrinologist have been *quite* clear with me that BMI 20 is the lowest that is acceptable to go.
If you don't think you're thin now, I can all but guarantee you that going to a BMI that is inappropriate for you is not going to make anything better.14 -
A person can be tall, but also have a small frame. A person can be shorter and have a larger frame. I think if the OP has a small frame, then it would be fine for her to be at a lower BMI.
I am 5’7.5 and personally feel slim, strong and healthy when my BMI is 20.5. My frame size is average. If my frame was small, I’d imagine I’d want to have a lower BMI. Again, if my frame was larger, I’d likely be happier at a higher BMI.
I have a friend who is about my height and 25 pounds less. She has a tiny frame and lovely figure. She would not be healthy at my weight if she gained 25 pounds of fat, nor I would look healthy at her weight. It’s relative to frame size, not height.12 -
collectingblues wrote: »I always thought a healthy bmi ranged from 20-25 but now lots of websites (nhs included) seem to be saying 18.5-25 is ok.
Can I check other peoples understanding of this?
I’m currently 20.8 and thought I would have to maintain at 20 but if this is the case maybe I can go lower and still be a healthy weight?
It may be worth exploring why your goal is to go to the absolute bottom of the range. Is there a reason you want to go to a weight that's generally recommended only for shorter and petite women, or Asian women, when you're neither short nor petite?
If that picture of you is current, you're already quite thin looking.
I'm 5'7"-5'8" and 140 is about as low as I want to go.7 -
It was 2 years ago I was around 1404
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yeah, absolutely do whatever you want.
I was just saying she looked thin, in case she just couldn't see it for whatever reason. It's a thing...not believing you look thin/thin enough/good.
She looks great in the picture. That's all I was saying.9
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