is the BMI tool correct?

hasiangirl
hasiangirl Posts: 1,613
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I just cant imagine me at 100lbs!...i havent been that small since i was in the 4th grade......100lbs would put me at 21BMI....which i wanted to be at but my god.....100lbs just seems way to small......I used to be able to max out my bench pressing at 120lbs.....:ohwell: should i follow the chart or should i maybe go in and do the caliper check thingamajig?

Replies

  • regisud
    regisud Posts: 5 Member
    A lot of professionals nowadays disregard the BMI, it's completely obsolete, just imagine determining overweight or not just by the ratio between your height and your weight. There's just so much more that goes into body composition bone structure, muscle structure, and the actual fat mass which is what counts to make one obese or not. I say NO to BMI.
  • lalawitheca
    lalawitheca Posts: 21
    My doctor had me do a DEXA scan that determined my ideal weight based upon my own dimensions and it put me at an ideal weight that would have me be considered overweight if not obese by BMI standards. :laugh:
  • JDHINAZ
    JDHINAZ Posts: 641 Member
    Never heard of a DEXA scan. What kind of places can you go to get one done? And would you mind sharing how much it costs?
    Thanks.
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member
    BMI is a guide somewhat, but you want to know more, get a caliper thingamajingy.

    Take 2 guys.
    A) 1 guy 5'7 and 193 lbs with 30 lbs of fat. - 30% fat - More fat than B
    B) 1 guy 5'7 and 193 lbs with 15lbs of fat. - ~ 10% fat - More muscle than A

    BMI would put both guys in the obese category.
  • Koreapsu
    Koreapsu Posts: 20
    Up until I broke my neck I was playing rugby at a very high level here in New Zealand. Although I was about as fit as humanly possible BMI considered me to be overweight and bordering obese. At this point my body fat when measured by our trainer was under 10%.

    It doesn't take into account differing muscle mass make up, it's a useless tool.
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    How tall are you? My BMI is 21 and I'm 112 and I'm only 5'1"! (My body fat is somewhere between 12 and 17% depending on who you ask.)

    I think BMI works for most people, but not for everyone. Once you get into a certain range, body fat % is definitely the way to go.
  • hasiangirl
    hasiangirl Posts: 1,613
    i'm 4'10" :blushing: :blushing: and what everyone said was very true about the muscle mass and how that a ratio like that cant take something into consideration...I would deffinately like to know where i could go to get it professionally checked.....I read somewhere tho if u have loose skin the callipers dont work... but i dont know how much of my belly is loose skin :ohwell:
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    The calipers will over-estimate your body fat if you have a lot of loose skin. But it will get you in the ballpark. Calipers say my body fat is 17%. I think it's more in the 12-15% range. My scale says it's 9-12% but there is no way it's that low.

    The absolutely most accurate way to get your body fat % tested is with a DEXA scan. It will also tell you how much lean tissue you have and your bone density. There are places that do it and sometimes insurance will pay. If not, it's about $75-100 (at least around here). Another fairly accurate way is via a dunk tank. I'm not sure how much they cost.

    Another thing to take into consideration is your frame. I have a small frame. So I can be lower in weight than someone with a big frame and not look unhealthy.

    What I did was have a goal of getting to a healthy BMI and then I figured I'd see how it went. When I got to 132 (BMI 24.9), it was clear I still had excess fat that was more than just being "curvy" so I kept going down until I felt I looked "right." Since I hang with endurance athletes, what looks "right" to me is fairly lean. :smile: Maybe someone else would think it's too skinny, but it feels good to me and I have lots of energy and I've gotten faster in my race times while still feeling strong, so I'm happy.
  • hasiangirl
    hasiangirl Posts: 1,613
    The calipers will over-estimate your body fat if you have a lot of loose skin. But it will get you in the ballpark. Calipers say my body fat is 17%. I think it's more in the 12-15% range. My scale says it's 9-12% but there is no way it's that low.

    The absolutely most accurate way to get your body fat % tested is with a DEXA scan. It will also tell you how much lean tissue you have and your bone density. There are places that do it and sometimes insurance will pay. If not, it's about $75-100 (at least around here). Another fairly accurate way is via a dunk tank. I'm not sure how much they cost.

    Another thing to take into consideration is your frame. I have a small frame. So I can be lower in weight than someone with a big frame and not look unhealthy.

    What I did was have a goal of getting to a healthy BMI and then I figured I'd see how it went. When I got to 132 (BMI 24.9), it was clear I still had excess fat that was more than just being "curvy" so I kept going down until I felt I looked "right." Since I hang with endurance athletes, what looks "right" to me is fairly lean. :smile: Maybe someone else would think it's too skinny, but it feels good to me and I have lots of energy and I've gotten faster in my race times while still feeling strong, so I'm happy.
    thank u so very much macmadame!!!...That makes perfect sense just to aim for the healthy BMI and then go with the flow =)...I am going to have to check out the DEXA testing 75-100 isnt bad at all if its an accurated reading......:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
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