this BMI thing.. should I take it as gospel? and ideal body

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jerber160
jerber160 Posts: 2,606 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
IDBW seems really really low to me. appreciate your opinions.

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  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    BMI is worthless IMO

    Just focus on getting into the "healthy weight range" most important :]
  • Melbel85
    Melbel85 Posts: 240 Member
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    I'm using it as a guideline but if I get to a weight and feel comfortable there I am not going to worry that I am still considered overweight.
  • aWashCloth
    aWashCloth Posts: 198 Member
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    The BMI was created by a 19th century Belguim mathematician trying to tie 19th century body statistics to 19th century sociology... Sooo .... Yeah I wouldnt worry too much about it.
  • WATRD
    WATRD Posts: 25
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    BMI is a statistical thing that applies mostly to groups of people. That's why it's such a broad range. Pay more attention to Body Fat Percentage and what your body tells you is your ideal weight.

    If you have been heavy for a while, you might find that your target looks really low to your eye, but as you get closer, it will make more sense. When I first started this journey, I thought that there was no way that I should be FIFTY(!) pounds down from where I was. After all, I was only "a little on the heavy side", right? ;), now, 50 lbs later, sure enough, the target weight was pretty darn close.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    I take the BMI chart with a grain of salt. It doesn't take a lot of things into account (like lean muscle vs fat). All it considers is your age, height and weight. Because of that, there are body builders out there who are considered "obese" based on their age, height and weight.

    For me, I focused more on how I felt, how I looked in the mirror, etc as where I wanted to be vs charts. According to ideal weight charts, I should be around 118lbs for my height. I am 145lbs now and happy. I would look like a skeleton at 118lbs. So, focus more on how you look, how you feel, etc vs charts.
  • surfrgrl1
    surfrgrl1 Posts: 1,464 Member
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    I would completely disregard BMI. Its worthless.
    Body fat is a much better gauge. (with a measuring tape and a calculator, you can get a pretty good idea of what your percentage is) http://www.davedraper.com/bodyfat-calculation.html Or you can invest in a scale that has a body fat calculator in it.
  • sadlazarus
    sadlazarus Posts: 76
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    According to BMI, the Welsh rugby team (who were magnificent today, Cymru ymlaen!) are all morbidly obese except Shane Williams.
    So while it's a handy number to know and has a certain value, BMI is just one of many ways we can beat ourselves up if we choose to: and damn us all, but we do like to beat ourselves up :)
  • aegira
    aegira Posts: 204
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    My doctor advised me to ignore it because I am not a city or town :laugh:
    He explained it was only ever originally meant to be used as a tool for statisticians/census takers who were taking information on the general populous. He admitted it actually annoys the crap out of him that people are made to feel guilty by the fitness/diet industry about this ridiculous number.
    I gave my doctor a hug :wink:
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,606 Member
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    BMI is a statistical thing that applies mostly to groups of people. That's why it's such a broad range. Pay more attention to Body Fat Percentage and what your body tells you is your ideal weight.

    If you have been heavy for a while, you might find that your target looks really low to your eye, but as you get closer, it will make more sense. When I first started this journey, I thought that there was no way that I should be FIFTY(!) pounds down from where I was. After all, I was only "a little on the heavy side", right? ;), now, 50 lbs later, sure enough, the target weight was pretty darn close.
    'heavy for a while...' I think I weigh less now than I did in 8th grade. or at least the same!]
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,606 Member
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    thank you all... but WHY then is on this site if it sucks???
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,606 Member
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    [I went to this website. for men they require waist size only. wtf? they thighs are HUGE and have barely budged since i started dieting although my waist and hips are down and pants are falling off of me. this seems strange too. maybe i should rethink my aversion to calipers
    ]
    I would completely disregard BMI. Its worthless.
    Body fat is a much better gauge. (with a measuring tape and a calculator, you can get a pretty good idea of what your percentage is) http://www.davedraper.com/bodyfat-calculation.html Or you can invest in a scale that has a body fat calculator in it.
    [/quote]
  • Raf702
    Raf702 Posts: 196 Member
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    BMI is just base point for people, it doesn't necessarily mean it should be followed like a bible. Everyone's body composition is built and responds differently to diet and exercise. I don't even follow or look at BMI charts, it's a joke honestly. For instance if a person who has low body fat, and is muscular but heavy. The BMI chart will consider them as overweight or obese. I toss it out the window. I just go with body fat percentage and weight.

    Following a calorie deficit plan, incorporate exercise. And that alone will definitely surpass what the BMI chart's would indicate about your physique.
  • Mama_CAEI
    Mama_CAEI Posts: 235
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    A better number to be concerned with is WHR: waist to hip ratio. It tells you how much of your weight is in your abdomen, which is dangerous/hard on your heart. It should be .8 for women and .9 for men.
  • manjingirl
    manjingirl Posts: 188 Member
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    thank you all... but WHY then is on this site if it sucks???

    It's a very useful guide for most people. The main group that it really isn't appropriate for is very muscular men - like body builders and athletes.
  • ukaryote
    ukaryote Posts: 874 Member
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    thank you all... but WHY then is on this site if it sucks???
    Fair question.
    "BMI (or body mass index) is an indirect measure of body fat in a person."
    source: http://bmi.emedtv.com/
    It is not nonsense, ancient mauderings of philosophers, or worthless. It is a quick, inexpensive, sketchy screen of possible health problems.
    Note the words Inexpensive, quick, and possible.
    It does not mean you are unhealthy if you are slightly out of range of your particular BMI. It soes not mean you will definitely develop diabetes if you are 100 lbs over BMI.

    It is an indicator. Its value differs between populations. Source: http://apps.who.int/bmi/index.jsp?introPage=intro_3.html

    A much more accurate method to measure percent fat is to be weighed, then be weighed in a tank of water and note the body volume of the displaced water. I took part in a study of physiology, and they used that method. It is difficult to offer that calculation on a website, so BMI calculators are widely available.

    As one person mentioned, i thought I would look like a skeleton at the suggested BMI. I do not look like a skeleton and I am getting close to the value. So I will pursue it.

    It is all probabilities, not absolutes. I will work at a better diet, appropriate exercise, and try to increase flexibility, strength, and endurance. Is it possible, not certain, I will avoid some problems my family has shown as we get older.
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
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    What we have to remember is that all of these things are just tools or guides that we have in our toolbox as we try to become more fit. BMI, Body Fat %, Calories burned calculators, weight scales, even calorie counting all have their inaccuracies and are largely based on averages of information. Therefore you can't assume any of it to be 100% accurate. But if you read up on each and understand how they're derived, they do become useful indicators that you can use to help assess you're current state and your progress. So no, don't take BMI as useless but don't totally dismiss it either.

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