BMI Confusion....

BMI is not designed to be used by individuals.

The BMI gets a lot of hate, but it's not as bad as people make it sound. It's not accurate if you have a lot of muscle mass, but other than that, it's a decent general guideline.

That said, missing the BMI target by 5 pounds, even if you're not muscular, doesn't mean anything. Keep in mind, however, that people usually underestimate how much weight the need to lose.

BMI is, as others said, just a rough guideline. If I didn't lose any lean muscle mass, I could be at 0% body fat and still be within my "healthy" BMI range! Percent body fat is a far better indicator.

That being said, as others have said, you may change your mind when you get there. I never thought I wanted to go below 145 because I wanted to keep some curves, but when I got that low and even below that, I was surprised that I could still look strong and curvy. It just seemed like such a low weight when I started. BUT you might get to 150 and realize that for your build, that is a healthy weight. It's all individual!

I have been looking at BMI also lately. To have a perfectly Healthy BMI it says I should be in the 150lb range. I have never been that small in my entire adult life. I wrestled 168 weight class in HS and have been 170ish in my 30's and I was skinny. So, just wondering how much faith should be placed on BMI for long term weight loss goals??

Once you get there you may feel differently about it... the number might sound small but just wait and see once you get there.

At around 160 I didnt like how skinny my face looked even though I was still in a size 13.
So I already know that I dont wanna be skinny like that.
Its not a look I personally find attractive. Lol.

I've read some of the other replies and would encourage you to ignore those that are making grossly retarded statements. At the end of the day, you only have one life to live. How you look and feel are the most important thing in any of this. A couple of the posters gave some really good advice regarding BMI. My bodyfat is 25:3%, yet my BMI is 33, not taking into account the weight lifting that I have been doing over time and now the muscle built running. I admire the fact that you are brave enough to say and recognize that health is far more important than the numbers. Always chase your health and fitness first, and the numbers will work themselves out. If you look into that mirror, are healthy, and you like what you see, then that is all that matters. Stay strong, beautiful, solid, committed, and keep that fantastic mindset! Peace!

The only people who are going to know your magic number is you, your doctor and whomever you chose to tell. If you are happy and HEALTHY what else matters?

I agree that it varies depending on the person. For example, my boyfriend's BMI says he's overweight (he's 6'8 250) but because he was a professional athlete he has a lot of muscle. My plan is to try to get down to the suggested BMI range (if my body will allow me) and see if I like how I look. I figure as long as you're healthy and happy with how you look, that's what matters most.

You're better off setting a body fat % goal. Your ending weight would be different but a person with ideal body fat% is going to be healthier than a skinny person with no muscle. Those people are still at risk for the same diseases as obese people. Your goals will probably change as you get closer so why don't you set smaller goals like lose 10% of your body weight, then 5% body fat and so on. It makes the small victories much more rewarding as you see your progress, and it makes your progress easier to measure. Good Luck!

very true, this is some great advice

BMI, also known as the Quelet Index because it was designed by Adolphe Quelet, who was a statistician and not a focused on exercisers or how to maintain fitness but on the statistics of weight in relation to disease, is simply a ratio used to classify large populations of people for weight to determine if there was a correlation between weight and disease and mortality. The graph for all cause mortality is actually a J shape with being under weight according to BMI having a higher rate of death then being normal weight, and about the same as being overweight, with obesity having the highest correlation to all cause mortality. Anyway, that is why people say it shouldn't be used for individuals because it is just a statistic (And we all know there are 3 types of lies--Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics! LOL) and not an actual measure of body fatness. That is why we were taught to use body composition to determine over fatness or under fatness instead of following the BMI scale for our clients in the exercise physiology program at college.

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Experts rate the best and worst in body-fat measurement devices.

By Jeanie Lerche Davis
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature

Reviewed By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD

Trying to get in shape? Then don't depend on your bathroom scales. To get the most accurate measure of your progress, experts say, you need to track your body fat as well as your weight.

"Most people focus only on losing weight, not on the fat," Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, chief exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise, tells WebMD.

"Preserving lean tissue and losing body fat -- that's what you need to strive for," Bryant says. "The only way to know how you're doing is through some form of body-composition assessment."

You know about the old standard measuring tools, like the body mass index (BMI) and the tape measure. And thanks to today's technology wizards, some very good new devices are available to measure your body fat.

To learn which are worth your time and money, WebMD got ratings from Bryant and from two more top exercise physiologists: Megan McCrory, PhD, an energy metabolism scientist with the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston; and Len Kravitz, PhD, senior exercise physiologist for IDEA Health and Fitness Association.

The BMI Test

This is a simple calculation, using the most basic tools -- your height and weight. Plug these numbers into a BMI calculator to learn whether you are obese, overweight, or normal weight.

The BMI was developed using large, population-based studies. Though it doesn't address percentage of body fat or muscle, it helps health care professionals quickly assess which patients may be at risk of health problems linked to excess weight.

Price: None.

The verdict: Free and readily available; good for assessing health risks but doesn't measure body-fat percentage. If you are short, or very muscular, results tend to be less accurate.

"It's a good starting point, a really good way to get a basic estimate of whether you are overweight or not," says Bryant. "BMI tends to correlate pretty closely with health risks associated with being overweight or obese."

The experts' grade: D. "The BMI doesn't give you body fat measurement," says McCrory. "But if gives an excellent BMI measurement!"

Body Fat-Measuring Scales

"Bioelectrical impedance analysis" has been added to traditional bathroom scales. The scales send a harmless electrical current up through your body to "read" the amount of fat body mass and lean body mass -- calculating your percentage of body fat.

Price: $50 to $100 per scale.

The verdict: Convenient, but not always the most accurate.

"The problem is, these devices are very sensitive to hydration -- how much fluid is in your body," Bryant tells WebMD. So it's important to strictly follow the guidelines for weighing yourself -- time of day, fluid and food intake. Even your menstrual cycle affects this reading. "However, with all this factored in, the scales are an easy, at-home way to keep track of your weight and fat-loss progress."

There also are handheld versions that use this same technology. Just remember: You get what you pay for. Higher price equals greater accuracy.

Grade: C+. "Even though they may not be accurate, it may be good for tracking changes with a diet and exercise program," says McCrory. "Just keep in mind that the scales might be off by 5%, plus or minus. Follow the instructions carefully. Taking a shower beforehand really makes the reading inaccurate!"

DEXA Scanning

DEXA is "dual energy X-ray absorpitometry" -- the same imaging technology doctors use to measure bone density to determine osteoporosis risk, explains Bryant. During the test, you lie on an X-ray table for about 10 minutes while the scanner measures your body fat, muscle, and bone mineral density

Weight Scales Don't Tell The Whole Story (cont.)

Price: $200 to $300

The verdict: Looking good.

DEXA is "an emerging technique that holds a lot of promise," Bryant tells WebMD. "It allows us to determine the amount of body fat overall, and to identify fat deposits in specific body regions. That's very important, because stores of body fat can be much more indicative of disease risk." For example, extra abdominal fat increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Primary-care doctors, physical therapists, and health clubs will soon be offering DEXA scanning to assess body fat, Bryant tells WebMD. "If your BMI says you're in the obese category and you have a strong family history of heart disease and diabetes, it might behoove you to get more precise assessment of body composition," says Bryant.

Grade: A. "It's one of the most accurate methods out there," says McCrory. "I haven't heard any news about DEXA in health clubs. But if you have the opportunity to be tested by DEXA, go for it." She warns, however, that obese people may have a hard time lying on the narrow tables used for this test.

It's "quite noninvasive," says Kravitz. "Very good technique."

Also called hydrodensitometry testing, this involves getting into a tank filled with water. Based on the amount of water you displace, your body density and body fat can be calculated.

"This test is considered the gold standard, the most accurate assessment technique," Bryant tells WebMD. Universities use this primarily with athletes, and will likely let you try it, too -- for a small fee.

Price: $25 to $75 per test.

The verdict: "It's a very accurate way to measure body fat," says Bryant. But going into the water can be a problem. Some find the procedure "disconcerting."

Grade: B-. Inconvenience is a big issue here, agrees McCrory. "My guess is that underwater testing will be a 'has been' in a few years."

Bod Pod

The Bod Pod is a new tool that relies on air displacement to determine body fat, says Bryant. There's no submersion; you don't get wet. But you have to get into the Bod Pod chamber, be very still, control your breath � all factors that can affect the results. Your hydration level before the test can also affect results. "When all these are controlled pretty well, you'll get a body fat calculation that's within 3% to 4% accurate � not as high as one might expect," Bryant says.

Price: $40 to $65 per test.

The verdict: McCrory says she believes it may be the way of the future, though Bryant notes that it needs some refinement.

Grade: A. "It's much easier and more convenient than underwater weighing," says McCrory. "It is about as accurate and reliable as DEXA, is much cheaper, and is becoming more widely available."

The Tape Measure

It's one of the oldest "obesity tests" known to mankind. However, waist circumference in this context "is not defined as a seamstress would," says Bryant. "This is taken at the belly button level."

Men with measurements higher than 40, or women with waist measurements higher than 35, are considered obese, he says.

Price: None.

The verdict: This is a basic indicator of a body fat problem, says Bryant. "It's a good technique," says Kravitz.

Grade: A. Girth measurement is "accurate and reliable" for assessing your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer, says McCrory. Quite simply: The bigger the girth, the bigger the risk. "However, some new research is coming out suggesting that there is more risk than previously thought at even lower risk circumferences."

Skinfold Calipers

Health clubs offer this test; it's the most widely used method for measuring body fat, says Bryant. Basically, it's a "pinch" test using a measuring device at several points on the body, like thighs, hips, and upper arm.

Price: $20 to $40 per test.

The verdict: Much depends on the skills of the person giving you the test. "The skinfold test can be reasonably accurate," Bryant tells WebMD. "But if the tester isn't experienced, or if they're using cheapo plastic calipers, take it with a grain of salt. It will be terribly unreliable."

Grade: D. "These are rarely done correctly," says McCrory. "The technician usually does not grab enough fat so the result is usually a big underestimate of body fat. It's also difficult to grab the fat consistently."

Infrared Light Measuring

Infrared light measuring is an inexpensive way to measure body fat with a soil-analysis-type device that agronomists use, Bryant explains.

Here's what happens: A probe is placed on a body site -- the biceps, for instance -- sending an infrared light ray through both fat and muscle. Your height, weight, sex, age, frame size, and activity level are factored in. The final number is a "rough estimate" of your body fat percentage, says Bryant.

Price: $25 to $50 per test.

The verdict: "It hasn't proven to be terribly accurate," Bryant tells WebMD.

Grade: F. Don't waste your time or money, says McCrory.

Height/Weight Charts

These are the simple height-vs.-weight tables used for years by many insurance companies. But the experts say they just don't work very well, even if they take body frame and sex into account.

Price: None.

The verdict: "These charts have significant limitations," says Bryant. "They really aren't measuring fat-to-lean tissue. They are based on a limited sample of the population and can be misleading."

Grade: F. "These do nothing to help us understand body composition," Kravitz says.

Originally published March 19, 2004
Medically updated June 9, 2005.

SOURCES: Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, chief exercise physiologist, American Council on Exercise. Megan McCrory, PhD, energy metabolism scientist, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston. Len Kravitz, PhD, senior exercise physiologist, IDEA.

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