Bmi ??????

[v2003]

I calculated my BMI the other day and according to it i am overweight.
Im 6 feet tall 189 pounds.
I dont count this as overweight but it really gets me down for something to say i am.

What do u guys think of this system ?

[Craig]

It's bollocks...and doesn't take into account your lean mass.

According to my BMI I'm obese. I know I'm fat, but that's just plain rude

[Super Fink]

BMI is a waste of time! Get yourself a body fat measure...that will give you a good idea.

BMI does not take into consideration how much muscle mass you have or your skellatal (sp?) frame.

[Andrew M]

Hi all.

Your BMI is actually a good measure of your longevity. There was a recent study in the UK (sorry, don't know the details of exactly when, where and by whom, I was informed about it by one of my bosses) which showed that your BMI, when related to your lifespan was a reasonable predictor.

Those who fell in the 20-25kg/m2 range had the longest lives. Those above 25, and especially those above 30 had shorter lives (sorry, don't know the length of time differences). The crux of my post is this however, when they compared fit, healthy people with low bodyfat levels who had BMIs above 25 and 30, they were still worse off than those who were fit and healthy but in the 20-25 range. Not as bad as the fatties though.

ie. Going above a BMI of 25, despite it being because of your lean body mass, may have a detrimental effect upon you length of life.

To be perfectly honest though, I have never been particularly keen on BMIs, because they only seem to apply to a narrow height range. An ex training partner of mine moved jobs, and was told he was technically obese at his medical, despite being excellently ripped. He is 5ft 4.

My weight is a bit of a yo-yo, but the last time I was at what I felt was a decent weight, I had a BMI of 27-28, and everyone was telling me that I was too skinny. I'm 6ft 5.

Final word, BMIs may not be the be-all-and-end-all, but they shouldn't be dismissed completely out of hand.

Andrew.

[Jingo]

well i'm 5'10 and 194lb and i know i'm overweight, so it's certainly possable you are, but you know yourself better than any generic scale, you know how much muscle you have and how you look in the mirror, just try to be hinest with yourself and remember to use these scales and measures as a guide, they have to have a cut off somewhere and you may just fall into overweight while another person weighs another 20lb and is still classed as the same as you.

[Olag00]

I just did Arnold Schwarzenegger's statistics at 6'2" 257 and it says he is obese.....so there is nothing good from BMI if you are an athlete or bodybuilder

[Jonesy]

Agreed! BMI is crap IMO! Arnold was obviously not fat. Rely on BF% and what your image in the mirror is, not some outdated Gov't chart!

[NME]

It said I was overweight. I'm 5'7" 162lbs. I'm at (likely) under 13% body fat. Overweight? Riiight.

BMI doesn't take into account muscle mass. Weight is weight is weight is weight as far as it is concerned. According to the BMI, I can be as low as 118lbs. and still be in the "normal" range for my height. Nevermind that I'd probably be dead (I'd be around....3% body fat).

Take it with a pillar of salt then laugh when you're shredded and it still tells you you're overweight.

[Supervivet]

Originally Posted by Craig

It's bollocks...and doesn't take into account your lean mass.

According to my BMI I'm obese. I know I'm fat, but that's just plain rude

I hear you!
I'm currently at BMI 32....i.e OBESITY...(god, what a terrible word...). Sure - I'm trying to loose weight, and yes - I am overweight, but...c'mon...Obese? I think not!

[Ranger17]

I read that the BMI was applied to professional athletes, and all were considered obese. Guys like Shanon Sharpe, Lavar Arrington, Ray Lewis, and Randy Moss...these guys are not obese. Take it w/ a grain of salt!
just my $.02
J