Am I unhealthy? BMI says I'm obese..

HakunaMatata137 · August 2019

I'll start out by saying that I'm a 23 year old female, 5'3", and 171lbs. According to my BMI, I'm "obese", which is honestly kind of crazy to me. About a year ago, I weighed 205 lbs, rarely worked out, and ate whatever I wanted. But then I started working out a ton, watching what I ate (for the most part), and that's how I lost the weight. I'm even studying for my group fitness instructor certification!
I've gained a lot of muscle too (at least I think, I feel stronger and have more noticeable definition) since I've been doing a lot of strength training - Metcon, Olympic weight training, things like that.

I have no known health issues either. I'm definitely not "thin" and do have some excess fat around my thighs/hips, but I don't think I look obese like my BMI says I am. I know BMI is very controversial, and you need to take muscle into account. But even so, it seems like 171 is still high for someone my height. And it's not like I'm a bodybuilder or anything lol.
However, even my mom, who's a physician, and who has commented on my weight my whole life (part of the reason I've had eating disorders, but that's another story lol) has told me that it doesn't look like I need to lose any weight despite my weight. And this is coming from someone who's always told me that I need to lose weight!

I guess my question is, could I still be healthy even though I'm technically "obese"? Should I still be aiming to lose weight for health reasons? I work out 5-6 days/week, and try to eat clean. I'm definitely not great at the eating part, but I've gotten SO much better than I used to be. But I'm still just confused since, for my height, I should be weighing in at around 120-140. If anyone could give me some insight, that would be great! Thank you!

Hannahwalksfar · August 2019

You answered your own question. You are healthy, the bmi doesn’t take into account muscle and you still need to lose more fat off your thighs and hips. Fat doesn’t necessarily mean unhealthy.

kimny72 · August 2019

Whether or not you are unhealthy is between you and your doctor. No one here can really tell you that.

Obesity is a risk factor for many lifestyle diseases. Whether or not obesity causes those diseases, or whether the stuff that causes those diseases also happens to typically make you obese is unclear.

It's possible that because you used to be heavier, you don't look overweight to you and your mom because you're used to how you looked before.

I'm not a professional, but I'd guess it's easier to be "healthy" at a higher weight when you're 23, but that extra weight might become more of an issue as you age.

Personally, I'd suggest you at least strive to get out of the obese category. Beyond that, make an appointment for a checkup and discuss your health and weight with your doctor to get a clear picture of where you personally stand. This is all just my amateur opinion. Congrats on the weight you lost and the healthy changes you've been making!

Lillymoo01 · August 2019

This is really something that only a doctor can answer because it is easy for us to be in denial about many aspects of our lives.

LyndaBSS · August 2019

I agree with kimny.

corinasue1143 · August 2019

Congratulations on your weight loss! I agree you are still heavy for your height, but you need to have this conversation with a trained expert, not me.

Noreenmarie1234 · August 2019

It is very unlikely you can be healthy for long at an obese weight. You are very young. Most of the side effects from obesity will start to show up as you age and then it will be harder to change. I suggest getting to a healthy weight. I don't think any physician would advise to stay in the obese or overweight range instead of losing to be a healthy weight.

With 70% of the population overweight/obese, most people see obese/overweight people as "looking fine" and not needing to lose weight. Since everyone is overweight, it looks normal to people.

It is VERY rare that someone can be healthy and not have their obesity affect there health once they approach their 30s/40s/50s.

sgt1372 · August 2019

No one likes to be "judged" especially if the judgment doesn't comport w/our view of ourselves.

There have been lots of threads debating the veracity and applicability of BMI calcs. Truth is that it's an arbitrary (but largely accepted) standard of easily measuring wherher one is considered to be at a "healthy" wt or not.

The risks associated w/being overweight are well documented - heart disease and diabetes being among them There is no denying that.

If you are happy w/your wt and appearance, your only recourse is to ignore it

However, this does not mean that you should ignore the risks of possibly being at risk for such problems and you should continue to regularly take the ordinary blood tests annually to assess your health status (as we all should regardless of our BMI) .

Suuzanne37 · August 2019

At that weight and a little shorter; I thought I looked good; because I carry my weight on my hips and thighs and at that weight had a flat stomach.

After reading the posts on this forum about BMI, I was determined to reach a healthy BMI. I kept my goal at .5 lbs per week; which was an achievable deficit and kept at it.

Exercise is very important, but you stated above that you watched what you ate “for the most part”. My suggestion is to choose a .5 lbs per week goal, and weigh and log your food. Overtime, you’ll eventually move from obese to overweight then to a normal BMI.

In my experience, I was able to get into the 170s with exercise but only made it to the 140s by focusing on my food intake; 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, 90/10.

Azdak · August 2019

As is often the case, the question is not as straightforward as many would like it to be.
The “controversy” about BMI is in how it is used to assess individuals. Since BMI only uses height and weight, it does not distinguish between different types of tissue. In a large population group, the inter subject differences in frame size and muscle mass are evened out by the size of the sample. That makes BMI an acceptable tool for assessing larger populations.

However, for an individual, the variability in frame size, muscle mass, etc, can make BMI classifications misleading. Some people have posted studies that suggest that BMI changes accurately assess body fat status in 75%+ of the population. Because of that they argue that BMI, because of its simple calculation and wide acceptance, is appropriate to assess individuals. I don’t agree, but I have the experience and (at least for 8 more weeks) the tools to measure and evaluate body fat, so that skews my outlook a little.

IMO, even if one does use BMI to assess individuals, one must always be aware of outliers and how to identify them. However, even at the outer edge of frame size/muscle mass for a 5’3” female, 173lbs would indicate a BF% of 30% or higher. At 23, that is technically above the “healthy” level—however, that doesn’t mean someone is “unhealthy” at that weight.

There is also the question of how much “fitness” offsets the potential health risks of “fatness”. There have been studies that suggest that the higher health risks associated with obesity are as much due to the lifestyle choices made by many obese people as the extra fat itself. When you segment obese individuals by fitness level, the long-term health risks of obesity are greatly reduced, and in some studies, disappear altogether.

Regardless of one’s risk factors—diabetes, hypertension, smoking, etc—there is almost always a direct correlation between higher fitness levels and overall risk. I always see that as a positive, since it is usually a lot easier to increase fitness than it is to lose weight.

So, “obesity” is a label attached to a BMI number. That’s really just a bureaucratic classification. It doesn’t really define who someone is as an individual. And it doesn’t automatically assign a health status. That’s up to the individual and their doctor. And, in the OPs case, I would definitely NOT use BMI as a reference for a “healthy” weight range (i.e. the 120-140 range cited).

AnnPT77 · August 2019

I have no idea whether you're overfat: That's a question for your doctor. I will say that BMI is a reasonable guide for the overwhelming majority of people, and it's especially unlikely for women to be at a higher BMI yet still not overfat because they carry such high muscle mass.

I agree with others' contention that if in fact you are overfat, of a body fat percentage that would make you truly obese, then it's possible that your youth is an explanation for a lack of current health problems. In that scenario, health problems might loom in your future.

I know a bit about the issues of being overweight but athletically active, with reasonable amounts of muscle, because I tried to convince myself that being very active was enough for health. I was just slightly into the obese BMI range (183 pounds at 5'5"), BMI 30.4, so just about where you are now in BMI. I was working out regularly, and even competing as an athlete (as a rower).

There is evidence that a very active overweight/obese person is in a better position, as far as some health risks, than a otherwise-similar person who's not quite as overfat but is not as active. But it's not about certainties, it's about risk.

Unlike you, I was quite certain I was overfat, despite being active.

For me, at a much older age than you (40s, 50s), active was not enough. I had high blood pressure, and high cholesterol/triglycerides. In 2015, at age 59-60, I lost weight, am now a normal BMI (22.7 this morning) at age 63, and my blood pressure and cholesterol/triglycerides are solidly in the normal range. Losing weight reduced my health risks, and avoided the need for prescription drugs that would've likely had undesirable side effects. I'm still more active, and probably carry more muscle, than most women my age. That combination - normal weight, active - is the best combination for reducing health risk. Still no guarantees, though.

Best wishes!

MikePTY · August 2019

I'll be honest, when I was 5'11, 235 pounds, which was a 32.8 BMI and 57 pounds away from a healthy weight, I thought it was pretty crazy. I knew I had to lose some weight and I would have accepted "overweight", but obese sounded crazy to me. I knew obese people, and I wasn't obese. I thought that if I lost 57 pounds, I would be skin and bones.

However now that I am down 39 pounds, and 18 pounds way from normal weight, I realize that I was obese, and I am about 20 pounds overweight. Now I am planning not only to get to the top of healthy BMI, but also move lower in it. Sometimes it's hard to see when we are so far away.

I can't comment on your personal situation, but I will make a general comment that the BMI is more accurate than most people would like to believe. Part of the reason we don't like to believe it is because of the social stigma associated with being "obese". We picture in our mind people who have morbid obesity. But the word obese is not a moral value. It is a medical term. And while it is a general term that can't make specific diagnonises, it's still one that I think has value.

apullum · August 2019

You are at the lower end of the "obese" range for your height. This is an objective fact.

That's a different thing from whether or not you're currently healthy, which a) isn't directly related to your BMI, b) is more subjective, c) can be a range of values--i.e., it's entirely possible to be relatively healthy but not in the best health you could possibly be in, and d) takes into account a lot of factors, including mental health, chronic conditions, acute conditions, etc.

Your BMI alone can tell you about one possible risk factor for various conditions, but it doesn't tell you much about your health if it's your only data point. Your doctor can help you figure out a more complete picture of your current health.

NorthCascades · August 2019

Azdak wrote: »

There is also the question of how much “fitness” offsets the potential health risks of “fatness”. There have been studies that suggest that the higher health risks associated with obesity are as much due to the lifestyle choices made by many obese people as the extra fat itself. When you segment obese individuals by fitness level, the long-term health risks of obesity are greatly reduced, and in some studies, disappear altogether.

It sounds like a lot of research is pointing to vo2max as an answer to the bold. Your overall fitness divided by your weight.

glovepuppet · August 2019

Health-wise? Waist measurement is one of the biggest clues. Carrying weight around your middle has far more health risks than carrying on your butt. If your waist is right for your height, you've got less to worry about. But, like everyone else says, you should really talk to your doctor about this.

smantha32 · August 2019

I'm 5'4 and 171 would put me at size 14. Technically not too bad but I sure didn't feel healthy.

BarbaraHelen2013 · August 2019

Again, there is no way I can say if you’re ‘healthy’ at that weight, because I don’t have access to your medical records. If you do fall into normal parameters for ‘health’ then, at that weight, you do so due to your youth.

Even if you, and perhaps your mother, think you don’t look as big as the scales and BMI calculations say you are, there are the insidious dangers of visceral fat to think about. That is the fat you cannot see from the outside but that surrounds all your internal organs. Much more dangerous to your long term health than the wobbly bits that we have all worried about from time to time!

Being perfectly honest, I’d suggest you find a friend or relative who is a similar height and whose weight falls into a healthy BMI range, dress yourselves in similar style clothes, and either stand side by side in a mirror or get someone to photograph you, full-length view. You might just be able to get a better perspective on why your BMI is suggesting that you’re obese.

sijomial · August 2019

It's not just the binary options of healthy or not healthy.
No doubt you are far healthier than you were (due to your weight loss and fitness and lifestyle improvements) and my guess would be be healthier still if you lost quite a bit more weight / more fat.
You would certainly be reducing your long term risk factors.

IMHO opinion as a 5'9 male at 165lbs the chances of a 5'3 female adding so much muscle that 171lbs is a good weight, let alone their best weight, are extraordinarily low. Aim for your best rather than better than you were.

rheddmobile · August 2019

sijomial wrote: »

It's not just the binary options of healthy or not healthy.
No doubt you are far healthier than you were (due to your weight loss and fitness and lifestyle improvements) and my guess would be be healthier still if you lost quite a bit more weight / more fat.
You would certainly be reducing your long term risk factors.

IMHO opinion as a 5'9 male at 165lbs the chances of a 5'3 female adding so much muscle that 171lbs is a good weight, let alone their best weight, are extraordinarily low. Aim for your best rather than better than you were.

I agree with this. It’s rare for a woman to be so big boned and muscular that obese BMI is actually a healthy weight for her.

Having been obese myself, I know now that when I first lost substantial amounts of weight, I had a distorted view of my own appearance, because I looked so much better than I had. I thought I looked amazing when I was still at the top of the overweight BMI range. Then for some reason, all my photos didn’t look as amazing as I thought I looked in the mirror! I thought my camera just took unflattering photos. It wasn’t until I had lost another 50 pounds that I realized my camera was right all along, it was my eyes that were kidding me. I agree with the suggestion to have someone photograph you next to a normal BMI person - sometimes it’s easier to see the truth in photos.

paperpudding · August 2019

Unless you are an elite body builder or some other specific sort of outlier - which it seems not - then highly unlikely your BMI of obese does not reflect true obesity, or at least significant over weight.

How you look is not the issue ( so ' I don't look obese' is irelevant ) and neither at 23 is the health issues not yet present.

BMI is really not that controversial - for the vast majority of the population it is a very good guide.

If you are not in the range, or at least very close to the borders - highly unlikely you are a healthy weight.

mburgess458 · August 2019

You might be healthy now at that weight but eventually it will catch up to you. Your choice is to lose weight at some point in your life or eventually suffer the consequences. Ask anyone who has lost significant weight and they will tell you they wish they had lost the weight earlier.

Justin_7272 · August 2019

I won't rehash the nuances of BMI; that's been pretty well veted above.

What is your blood pressure? This can be a good indicator of potential health risks.

MNNiceForLife · August 2019

My "weight" also puts me into the overweight category, which was totally shocking to me, neither my nurse or doctor ever brought this to my attention, I happened to see it listed as a diagnosis (coded obese) on my electronic chart. By the way, I am 5'8 and 164 lbs with a medium sized frame. I exercise/strength train regularly, eat healthy, have zero medical issues (other than a work related back injury in which I had a spinal fusion), I do not take any medication, my bloodwork is great, my vital signs are perfect and I have been at this weight for over 15 years, it fluctuates up-down a pound or two and is where my body is comfortable apparently. I am 51 and feel fantastic! My point is, I am not going to let BMI "weigh-on-me" pardon the pun, too heavily.

kshama2001 · August 2019

I have a large frame, with the corresponding large head, broad shoulders, large wrists, and big feet, and I'd be happy at 171, but I am 3.5 inches taller than you, so I'm having a hard time seeing that weight being ideal for you height, unless you also have a large frame, and are super muscular as well.

pinuplove · August 2019

RVLife32043 wrote: »

My "weight" also puts me into the overweight category, which was totally shocking to me, neither my nurse or doctor ever brought this to my attention, I happened to see it listed as a diagnosis (coded obese) on my electronic chart. By the way, I am 5'8 and 164 lbs with a medium sized frame. I exercise/strength train regularly, eat healthy, have zero medical issues (other than a work related back injury in which I had a spinal fusion), I do not take any medication, my bloodwork is great, my vital signs are perfect and I have been at this weight for over 15 years, it fluctuates up-down a pound or two and is where my body is comfortable apparently. I am 51 and feel fantastic! My point is, I am not going to let BMI "weigh-on-me" pardon the pun, too heavily.

Actually your BMI is 24.9, the very top of the healthy range. At your height, you'd have to weigh at least 198 to edge into obese. Big difference to the OPs situation.

SnifterPug · August 2019

Well done on the weight loss so far. That is a super achievement, and all the activity is going to help you no matter what your weight.

Others have done BMI to death on this thread but since you are obviously concerned about your weight I think you should consider delving a bit deeper. Try to find out your body fat percentage, for example. I am a tad overweight by the BMI scale (used to be obese) but my body fat percentage is still in the obese category and I am now working on that by losing more weight but concentrating on keeping as much muscle as I can (gaining some if possible).

Also make sure your blood pressure is fine.

Check out your resting heart rate (as a possible guideline to fitness).

Check out your VO2Max if possible. You can't do that accurately without access to some scary equipment but many gym treadmills and other cardio machines have a function where they measure heart rate commensurate to exercise and give you a fairly decent estimate. You can then work on improvement if necessary.

kshama2001 · August 2019

SnifterPug wrote: »

Well done on the weight loss so far. That is a super achievement, and all the activity is going to help you no matter what your weight.

Others have done BMI to death on this thread but since you are obviously concerned about your weight I think you should consider delving a bit deeper. Try to find out your body fat percentage, for example. I am a tad overweight by the BMI scale (used to be obese) but my body fat percentage is still in the obese category and I am now working on that by losing more weight but concentrating on keeping as much muscle as I can (gaining some if possible).

Also make sure your blood pressure is fine.

Check out your resting heart rate (as a possible guideline to fitness).

Check out your VO2Max if possible. You can't do that accurately without access to some scary equipment but many gym treadmills and other cardio machines have a function where they measure heart rate commensurate to exercise and give you a fairly decent estimate. You can then work on improvement if necessary.

Oh, speaking of body fat, when I get to my goal weight, which would also have me still in Obese, I was planning to get a DEXA scan for a reality check.

misscagal · August 2019

SnifterPug wrote: »

Well done on the weight loss so far. That is a super achievement, and all the activity is going to help you no matter what your weight.

Others have done BMI to death on this thread but since you are obviously concerned about your weight I think you should consider delving a bit deeper. Try to find out your body fat percentage, for example. I am a tad overweight by the BMI scale (used to be obese) but my body fat percentage is still in the obese category and I am now working on that by losing more weight but concentrating on keeping as much muscle as I can (gaining some if possible).

Also make sure your blood pressure is fine.

Check out your resting heart rate (as a possible guideline to fitness).

Check out your VO2Max if possible. You can't do that accurately without access to some scary equipment but many gym treadmills and other cardio machines have a function where they measure heart rate commensurate to exercise and give you a fairly decent estimate. You can then work on improvement if necessary.

I think the best suggestion is check with your doctor. My BMI works out to obese/overweight (right on border) yet my vo2 max is 40. This is top 10% for my age group. I’m certainly overweight but I am quite active so a real conundrum if you use those two measurements in isolation. My BP is also normal although a bit higher than historically. I’m at about 128/79 and resting HR is around 59 bpm. The v02 max and hr are from met Garmin which I wear consistently and for quite some time now so I’ll assume they are fairly accurate.
Edit - I’m only saying there are a lot more factors than one measurement and we are all different. “Average” stats are a good guide but don’t tell the whole picture. That being said I take the BMI very seriously and am actively working on getting it down.

mburgess458 · August 2019

misscagal wrote: »

SnifterPug wrote: »

Well done on the weight loss so far. That is a super achievement, and all the activity is going to help you no matter what your weight.

Others have done BMI to death on this thread but since you are obviously concerned about your weight I think you should consider delving a bit deeper. Try to find out your body fat percentage, for example. I am a tad overweight by the BMI scale (used to be obese) but my body fat percentage is still in the obese category and I am now working on that by losing more weight but concentrating on keeping as much muscle as I can (gaining some if possible).

Also make sure your blood pressure is fine.

Check out your resting heart rate (as a possible guideline to fitness).

Check out your VO2Max if possible. You can't do that accurately without access to some scary equipment but many gym treadmills and other cardio machines have a function where they measure heart rate commensurate to exercise and give you a fairly decent estimate. You can then work on improvement if necessary.

I think the best suggestion is check with your doctor. My BMI works out to obese/overweight (right on border) yet my vo2 max is 40. This is top 10% for my age group. I’m certainly overweight but I am quite active so a real conundrum if you use those two measurements in isolation. My BP is also normal although a bit higher than historically. I’m at about 128/79 and resting HR is around 59 bpm. The v02 max and hr are from met Garmin which I wear consistently and for quite some time now so I’ll assume they are fairly accurate.
Edit - I’m only saying there are a lot more factors than one measurement and we are all different. “Average” stats are a good guide but don’t tell the whole picture. That being said I take the BMI very seriously and am actively working on getting it down.

Garmin hr is likely accurate but the VO2 probably isn’t. My Garmin says my VO2 is 50 which I’d love to believe but I think it’s too generous.

cmriverside · August 2019

Hard to believe people wooed @Azdak, who has been in the fitness industry for several decades and has been a valuable contributor to these forums for over ten years and 8000 posts.

I hope those woos were from new people who think it's WooHoo.

Azdak, you said "for eight more weeks..." You retiring? If so, early Congratulations. :flowerforyou:

SnifterPug · August 2019

cmriverside wrote: »

Hard to believe people wooed @Azdak, who has been in the fitness industry for several decades and has been a valuable contributor to these forums for over ten years and 8000 posts.

I hope those woos were from new people who think it's WooHoo.

Azdak, you said "for eight more weeks..." You retiring? If so, early Congratulations. :flowerforyou:

Thank you for clearing that up. My first instinct on seeing a "woo" option was to assume it meant "woo". But then I wondered if it actually meant "WooHoo" so I have never dared press it at all.

Am I unhealthy? BMI says I'm obese..

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