Does BMI mean crap in terms of health?

Options
2

Replies

  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    Options
    That being said, everyone is different, naturally.
    I have a friend who is about 5' 5" and eats junk food EVERY SINGLE DAY.........she weighs 100 pounds -____-
    Before she started eating fast food so much, she used to weigh 90. She certainly doesn't count calories, she eats Oreos and Nutella and chili cheese fries and doesn't work out and her BMI is about 16.5.

    As you said, everyone's different. Your friend also doesn't have a history of EDs. That's just how she's made.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    Hmm, what do I think. I think BMI is one indicator.

    That said, your post seems to smack of rationalization. Are YOU healthy? Maybe. Is someone at a higher BMI healthy? Maybe. Is sodapop and burgers a whole other topic? Yes.

    You're very very thin and you're wanting to use arguments against BMI to rationalize it. Sorry, I won't play along.

    ps: I'm 21.0 and dont shove burgers down my gullet.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    Options
    Means zip, nada, zero. If you could buy into it, Arnold Schwartzneggar would have been obese in his prime.

    It's very well known that BMI charts don't apply to athletes, body builders, weight lifters and so on. They're for average people. It's not a perfect tool, but it's not meaningless.
  • Fitfortat
    Fitfortat Posts: 47
    Options
    I agree.

    I have a very small frame (4'11") and I was pretty well toned and muscly before I gained my weight) but because of that I am now very obese (BMI 33.9).

    Even at my healthiest, when I danced for 10+ hours every week and could easily fit into UK size 8's (USA size 6's) my BMI was still over the healthy '18-25'.

    To be in the 'healthy BMI' range, I'd need to lose around 50 lbs. That's to get my BMI to 24. I have no desire to lose THAT much weight as I would only weigh 119lbs.

    My goal is to get to 140lbs. Then I will be 'overweight' and will be around the same weight as I was when I was at my healthiest and happiest.
  • Fitfortat
    Fitfortat Posts: 47
    Options
    I'm totally in agreeance with this, I'm 5"2, very muscular and a size 12. I'm well aware that I need to lose weight, hence why I'm on here. But BMI states that I'm grossly obese and I would have to be down to like 120 to even get into the "healthy" range. I don't think I would be happy that skinny. I'm a woman not a twig. BMI can't take into account your muscle mass so I think knowing your Body-fat % would be a better indicator.
  • xoxo99
    xoxo99 Posts: 36
    Options
    I wish you best of luck in your journey and recovery. Often ED's are a secondary problem from some other root problem in their life (i.e. some type of abuse). It is a long hard journey. Just know that you are beautiful inside and out. I sincerely hope you have a lot of support and seek out treatment. Best of luck to you! :)
  • wannabfitnsexywechanged
    wannabfitnsexywechanged Posts: 22
    Options
    hey honey , i completely agree with you - mines 17.9 and my thighs and *kitten* are literally comparable to Nicki Minaj's - Underweight my *kitten* !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would love to see what they call an obese person if they think I'm underweight. Seriously. BMI means **** to me !
  • paulaviki
    paulaviki Posts: 678 Member
    Options
    hey honey , i completely agree with you - mines 17.9 and my thighs and *kitten* are literally comparable to Nicki Minaj's - Underweight my *kitten* !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would love to see what they call an obese person if they think I'm underweight. Seriously. BMI means **** to me !

    I'm sorry to say this, but if that is you in your profile picture I think you are underweight. Your hip bones stick out and there is no way you have a figure comparable to Nikki Minaj. I'm not trying to be harsh but it concerns me that someone as small as you wants to lose weight. I think you need to put weight on and build muscle to achieve your goal of looking fit and sexy.
  • Pete969
    Pete969 Posts: 5
    Options
    I really should get my bf% tested. I really don't think I've ever had that done.

    There's a lot of good advice on here and some scathing criticism, (well intended I'm sure).

    If you had your BF% done by a professional, you'd have a more rounded view of where you are.

    Talk to your Dad about your goals and how you're going to get there. Ask him to follow the 'rule' of listening to you while YOU talk.

    ...and don't forget: You can start each day from scratch!

    Pete
  • WillowBreeze
    WillowBreeze Posts: 102
    Options
    First of all let me say congratulations on choosing to recover. Whatever the driving factor is, you're doing it. If you are actively trying to eat more than you have in the past even if it's not up to society's standard of enough to be healthy you're doing yourself a favor. You're healthier than you used to be which is a step in the right direction.

    Second, bmi didn't do **** for my self esteem when I was 135 pounds and solid muscle. (I'm 5'4 so I was on the "high" end of healthy). When it comes to taking into account muscle, I don't think bmi is a good indicator at all for athletes, but it does serve as a general guideline for most.

    Lastly, whether she is looking to lose weight, recover, use the bmi calculator being crap as an excuse to sustain underweight is no one's business. Unless you've been down the road of an eating disorder, you have no idea what it's like to have to gain weight and see your body morph. People with eating disorders don't see what you see, so even if by bmi standards she is underweight she may not see it that way so please try to keep that in mind.

    I won't condone you for your low weight since it's not all that pertinent to the topic question.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Options
    It's not a perfect indicator of health, but the guidelines are there as simply that, guidelines.

    You are still severly underweight (as is the girl who mistakenly thinks she looks anything like Nikki Minaj. No, just no) You are trying to justify your unhealthy body the exact same way an overweight person who claims 'I'm not fat I have lots of muscle, damn BMI' is. Continue to get help for your ED.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Options
    I, personally, am of the opinion that you still have your ED. It does not matter if you think you are losing weight in a healthy way, if you are continuing to aim to lose weight when you are underweight already, then you have issues and you are not just a slight bit under the minimum BMI, you are a lot under. The BMI is mostly inaccurate, imo, when it comes to those into bodybuilding who might be over the higher number due to muscle mass, yet have a low body fat %. I think you might just be convincing yourself that you are okay and healthy, and looking for justification to carry on as you are. I don't think anyone is likely to be healthy at your weight and height, and I would be surprised if you even still get your periods at that sort of weight.
    I'm still getting my period and I'm not aiming to lose weight at all. In fact I'm trying very hard to stop it because now my dad is getting angry with me for my weight and checks it weekly. I'm trying very hard to gain muscle pounds. I wouldn't call myself 100% over my ED because it still lingers mentally, but I'm much better than before.

    How much over TDEE are you eating to gain weight?
    Do you need help figuring this stuff out?
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Options
    I think it applies well to women. I weight a lot for my height due to muscle. I am still within a healthy BMI.

    OP: You admit to having an eating disorder. Your BMI is "too" low. This probably means you should gain weight. I think it's your eating disorder that is telling you that "BMI means nothing".
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
    Options
    BMI is absolute CRAP when it comes to determining whether or not a person is obese or healthy. An athlete who is very muscular will have a BMI in the obese range and an obese person can have a BMI in the healthy range.
  • peachyxoxoxo
    peachyxoxoxo Posts: 1,178 Member
    Options
    BMI is absolute CRAP when it comes to determining whether or not a person is obese or healthy. An athlete who is very muscular will have a BMI in the obese range and an obese person can have a BMI in the healthy range.

    I agree BMI is not a very good indicator of health especially when a person has a lot of muscle mass. On the other end of the BMI scale however, if a person is in the underweight range, I would absolutely take that number more seriously. You can't attribute an especially low BMI to some other factor as you can attribute a high BMI to muscle mass. I am concerned for you OP, in your case. You're malnourished. I'm glad you're starting to get help, but for the sake of your mental health, I simply cannot tell you that a BMI of 16.7 is okay.
  • janemem
    janemem Posts: 575 Member
    Options
    hey honey , i completely agree with you - mines 17.9 and my thighs and *kitten* are literally comparable to Nicki Minaj's - Underweight my *kitten* !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would love to see what they call an obese person if they think I'm underweight. Seriously. BMI means **** to me !

    I'm sorry to say this, but if that is you in your profile picture I think you are underweight. Your hip bones stick out and there is no way you have a figure comparable to Nikki Minaj. I'm not trying to be harsh but it concerns me that someone as small as you wants to lose weight. I think you need to put weight on and build muscle to achieve your goal of looking fit and sexy.

    @paulaviki you took the words right outa my mouth!

    Sweetheart there is no way your body bears any resemblance to Ms Minaj and I do wonder what you consider to be 'obese'? Going by what you said I shouldn't wonder that you think I come under that category.
    If you aren't already then I really do think you need to talk to someone about your view of your body/weight because I can assure you that what you see is not what anybody else see's. Good luck and take care. :flowerforyou:
  • pineapple1989
    pineapple1989 Posts: 195 Member
    Options
    I think it is useful as a general guideline but I resent that the NHS see this as a way of categorizing us. My BMI is currently 34 so I am still classed as obese but yet I am a UK dress size 16, most people are shocked to hear that I am technically classed as "obese".

    However before I put on my weight I was a UK size 10/12 but yet I was classed as overweight according to BMI, which there was no way I was overweight! I have a large frame and I'm 5' 10" at the time my stomach was flat but yet I was supposedly overweight...

    I think there are too many variances that can affect a person's BMI, I wish that the NHS would use body fat percentage of something instead but ultimately I just try and go by how I feel an how my clothes fit!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    hey honey , i completely agree with you - mines 17.9 and my thighs and *kitten* are literally comparable to Nicki Minaj's - Underweight my *kitten* !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would love to see what they call an obese person if they think I'm underweight. Seriously. BMI means **** to me !

    I'm sorry to say this, but if that is you in your profile picture I think you are underweight. Your hip bones stick out and there is no way you have a figure comparable to Nikki Minaj. I'm not trying to be harsh but it concerns me that someone as small as you wants to lose weight. I think you need to put weight on and build muscle to achieve your goal of looking fit and sexy.

    @paulaviki you took the words right outa my mouth!

    Sweetheart there is no way your body bears any resemblance to Ms Minaj and I do wonder what you consider to be 'obese'? Going by what you said I shouldn't wonder that you think I come under that category.
    If you aren't already then I really do think you need to talk to someone about your view of your body/weight because I can assure you that what you see is not what anybody else see's. Good luck and take care. :flowerforyou:
    If that's her in the photo then I'd say her waist is closer to Minaj's thighs.
  • 10271955
    10271955 Posts: 1
    Options
    I just finished a nutrition class and the only thing BMI tell you is how much fat you have. It isn't a good source of information for muscular athletes, ederly, children or pregnent women. BMI does not take into consideration how much muscle you have. So you could have a high BMI but really be ok if you are an athlete.

Categories