BMI Issues.....

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Alibobba
Alibobba Posts: 31
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok....so the BMI calculated by my scale differs greatly from the BMI calculated on MFP. Initially, I wanted to go with the scale reading, only because it was higher and I felt better erring on the high side, rather than the low. Now I'm not so sure. It is a rather large difference, so I don't feel like I'm splitting hairs. Has anybody else experienced this issue?

Replies

  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    BMI? BMI is pretty worthless xD
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
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    I thought the BMI equation, for whatever its worth, was pretty much the same across the board. you enter your weight and height, whether you are male or female, and voila. If you are entering the same weight on MFP as the reading on your scale, it should show the same BMI.
  • Moxie42
    Moxie42 Posts: 1,400 Member
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    Yeah, I was once told by a nurse not to pay too much attention to BMIs, to take them with a grain of salt, because there are so many personal factors not taken into consideration. I still check it because it makes me happy to see that number go down, but I don't take it to heart. I judge my progress on weight and measurements instead.
  • nolehusker
    nolehusker Posts: 10
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    Agree, BMI is worthless but that doesn't help her.

    Is your height set correctly on the scale at home? BMI only takes your height and weight as inputs. Giving that your scale is the same as your weight on here, the height has to be off somehow. Or maybe your height on MFP is not correct.
  • Alibobba
    Alibobba Posts: 31
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    I thought the BMI equation, for whatever its worth, was pretty much the same across the board. you enter your weight and height, whether you are male or female, and voila. If you are entering the same weight on MFP as the reading on your scale, it should show the same BMI.

    I entered the same stats on the scale, but to get a BMI reading I have to weigh in bare feet, so I assumed it was somehow reading off of that? Haha---sorry, I am a total novice when it comes to this stuff. Perhaps I am looking at the wrong number on the scale?
  • nolehusker
    nolehusker Posts: 10
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    I thought the BMI equation, for whatever its worth, was pretty much the same across the board. you enter your weight and height, whether you are male or female, and voila. If you are entering the same weight on MFP as the reading on your scale, it should show the same BMI.

    I entered the same stats on the scale, but to get a BMI reading I have to weigh in bare feet, so I assumed it was somehow reading off of that? Haha---sorry, I am a total novice when it comes to this stuff. Perhaps I am looking at the wrong number on the scale?

    BMI has nothing to do with barefeet. I bet it tries to calculate your height from your shoe size or something. I wouldn't trust it unless you enter you height into the scale some how.
  • Alibobba
    Alibobba Posts: 31
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    Thanks. MFP it is!
  • adhillman01
    adhillman01 Posts: 206
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    Is your scale a body fat percentage scale or a BMI scale. There is only one equation for BMI and it looks at height and weight. If your scale is telling you to get on with bare feet it may be using small electrical signals to calculate your body fat. These are two different things.
  • Alibobba
    Alibobba Posts: 31
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    Is your scale a body fat percentage scale or a BMI scale. There is only one equation for BMI and it looks at height and weight. If your scale is telling you to get on with bare feet it may be using small electrical signals to calculate your body fat. These are two different things.

    Oh boy---I'll bet that's what it is! Like I said, I'm a novice on these caluculations, so thanks for the input!
  • mark996
    mark996 Posts: 184 Member
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    BMI itself should be tossed out and not worried about. Buy a pair of calipers from amazon.com, or have a doctor use calipers to have your actual bodyfat % tested. The BMI scale is a flawed European system that gets insurance companies out of insuring certain people, I've honestly not found another use for it. Look at any pro bodybuilder, they're sub 10% bodyfat around competition time, however considered morbidly obese by the BMI scale.

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