Old School Ideal Weight Theories....say WHAT?!

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eeebee
eeebee Posts: 471 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
According to one website, me being 5"4 and 157lb I am obese...I don't look obese, that's for sure (and they do say muscle weighs more than fat, but I shall not delude myself and go as far as to say I am pure muscle!)

But look at the suggested weights over the years, it's amazing how they fluctuated (and the BMI range now is huge, 107 - 145.6lbs?!):

Based on the Robinson formula (1983), your ideal weight is 123.0 lbs
Based on the Miller formula (1983), your ideal weight is 129.1 lbs
Based on the Devine formula (1974), your ideal weight is 120.6 lbs
Based on the Hamwi formula (1964), your ideal weight is 119.7 lbs
Based on the healthy BMI recommendation, your recommended weight is 107.8 lbs - 145.6 lbs

This has made me think that maybe I really am obese :huh:

Replies

  • SouLThinking
    SouLThinking Posts: 308 Member
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    I am the same height 5'4"...when I was 157 or 160 don't remember anywhere saying obese. I remember it was obese at about 175. I guess these things keep changing and who get's paid to sit around all day deciding who's obese and who isn't. Very frustrating. I know that I just hit the healthy BMI at 144 or so. But that healthy range is 40 lbs which seems crazy but I guess that's the only way they can take into count muscle mass and bone structure. If I was 120 I'd look like the dead walking.

    Nichole
  • fathewell
    fathewell Posts: 3
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    I hear ya! That BMI thing has me feeling bad as well. I'm 5'3 and weigh around 157 like you. I do believe I am a lot of muscle you should do the body fat percentage and see what your weight is in lean body mass, like it says I'm about 27 percent fat, meaning I absolutely need 116 lbs of my body and what is in there, the rest is fat, anything under 14 percent is pretty much unhealthy for a woman. So my goal I've made is 140, because that will put be at about 17 percent and that is in the athletic range for fat percentage. I think that is a good goal to have more than what the BMI says, because that calculation doesn't know the amount of muscle we have.

    This site has a lot of awesome calculators:
    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/
    :smile:
  • sammycool1986
    sammycool1986 Posts: 74 Member
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    First of all you are not at all!

    I wouldn't even call you overweight really!

    I am 5'5 and weigh 176 pounds and accoridng to my BMI I'm on the upper side of overweight.

    I have checked several websites to find out what I should be and it generally somewhere between 8-10 stone. I think If i went to under 9 stone i would look really skinny.

    I am aiming to weigh around 9 stone and a half as my goal weight :)
  • Kirsty_UK
    Kirsty_UK Posts: 964 Member
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    That's interesting - have you got links for these calculators?
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
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    I think the problem with it is the bad image the term "obese" has. When I was in high school, I was 150lbs and 5 foot 6. Now of course, thats "big" ha ha, but I was actually thin and very athletic looking! I wish I looked that great now! "D I just left the "obese" range a few weeks ago and I don't really think I looked "obese" as I think of it.

    The standards provided give us vague ideas about how "obese" or "fat" looks and then when we turn around and get labeled its a huge deal, although its only because we've been trained to picture it as the extreme.

    That is pretty cool to see the variations in the formulas! Thank you :)
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    Honestly, BMI is one of the worst indicators of if we are overweight, underweight, etc.

    There are a lot of bodybuilders and athletes that due to their weight are considered obese by BMI standards but are healthy and have a really low body fat percentage.

    I'd personally go by a height/weight chart, or by body fat percentage since BMI can be so off.
  • MaddameKat
    MaddameKat Posts: 200 Member
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    eeekkk!

    I agree scary as are the vairous BF calculators.. one had me at 28% another and 40%, no i am not likely to be the 28% but if you don't know any better ( or you will no admit to it) how is it helpful to misinform.
  • jagar07
    jagar07 Posts: 330 Member
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    I am the same hieght, my doctor says I need to get to at least 155 to be in the "Over weight" category and our of the obese one :huh:
  • Kirsty_UK
    Kirsty_UK Posts: 964 Member
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    Hmm, I posted a reply and it hasn't appeared, so here it is again.

    Do you have links for these calculators? I'd be interested to see what results I get!
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
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    Hey eebee - what websites are these?

    Edit: Found this - http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm
  • eeebee
    eeebee Posts: 471 Member
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    This is just one of many calculators I have entered my height and weight into (and my age, 29)

    http://www.calculator.net/ideal-weight-calculator.html?ctype=standard&cage=29&csex=f&cheightfeet=5&cheightinch=4&cheightmeter=180&x=47&y=13

    Every single site and BMI or height/weight/fat% calculator/chart thing online has suggested I am borderline obese.

    Physically, I have lost weight and changed shape but the scales tell a different story, one where the scales have hardly shifted since I started this new lifestyle back in April this year.

    A mere 3lb difference on the scales yet everyone I know has noticed the change in appearance, which of course I am pleased about!

    :ohwell:

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