The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a load of C&*%!

endurojcb

I had a BUPA medical through work today. Lucky us, we get one every 2 years free of charge.

Anyway, I got told that my BMI is 28.1 based on my height of 5'8" and a weight of 13st 4lb's. The nurse then went on to tell me that I need to loose weight and how unhealthy it is to be at that level. I know I need to loose a few pounds really. I was 12st 5lb's just over a year ago and even had a noticeable six pack (not a proper chiselled one) too. Even at that weight my BMI would be 26.5 which is over weight. The whole Endland Rugby team would be over weight too!

Anyway, I have a body fat percentage of 18.5% according to a machine they have at my gym (that'll be nearer 15% in a few months after some proper training though), so I'm not going to die of heart failure due to being obese just yet thankfully.

redvee

I need to gain 21cm in height or lose 20kgs

endurojcb

I need to gain about 5" in height! http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/lo ... ight_m.htm

ride_whenever

I'd tell her to dlck off, BMI is indeed a load of crock, and doesn't work for the majority of people.

body fat percentage is much better.


That has made me very angry.,...............
:evil:

god1406

apparently i need to gain 1 1/2 stone.

pfftt.

My BMI has just been worked out at 20.8.

I hope the BUPA woman was ugly. Kama works in mysterious ways

supersonic

Only works for people of 'normal' build. What is normal? If you have fat hanging off you, thats the best guide. I used to be BMI 18, with 5% body fat and a 28 waist lol.

Matteeboy

I am well into "overweight".

5'8", 12 stone, 8% bodyfat!

SBezza

BMI is just a pure indication, if you are obviously fat then it is a good indicator, if you are very muscular, then it needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

I am 5'9" and weigh just short of 15 stone, so my BMI would be pretty accurate, as it isn't mainly muscle, a ideal weight of 12 stone is about right for my body frame which would take me into the normal weight area, even this is a bit too heavy, when I was at my fittest at 21 I was 10 1/2 stone, so although I would never get to that weight again, between that and 12stone is fairly the correct weight for a 5'9" normal build person.

The problem is the people interepting the results, if the nurse had seen you as a fairly muscular build then she shouldn't have mentioned it, but if it is a fair bit of fat she is right to point it out.

Shadowduck

ride_whenever wrote:

That has made me very angry.,...............
:evil:

Now that's bad for your heart. In through the nose, out through the mouth...

endurojcb

It wasn't a full on medical. Just height, weight, eys, bloo and urine tests etc so I was fully clothed in a baggy shirt etc so she couldn't see my amazingly muscular physique.

Pinch of salt duly taken. I think she just mentioned it cos she mentions it to everyone. I've got a pretty muscular build if think. Nothing major mind you. I'm not a pin head or anything,and although I have a good stones worth of insulation, that 18.5% fat will definately drop over the next couple of months!

Anonymous

I don't think the height-weight measurements can give an accurate representation.

One of the guys I used to work with could have been a cover model for men's health magazine . He used to work out every single day, but was told that he was "morbidly obese" by a nurse during a medical!
this guy looked like a film star - women flocked around him like flies on poo (jammy bar-steward), used to run and ride xc a load as well.

On the other hand, my brother, who got a silver in the European wight-lifting championships, was 5'8" and weighed around 9 1/2 stone. But he could clean-and-jerk over 100 kilos. absolute brick-craphouse. but technically way to thin!

Go figure!

Greg_m

BMI is a completly useless test if administered on its own. It does not take into account any factors to do with fitness etc, and does not distinguish and muscle mass.

I wouldnt take any notice of a simple BMI test (its debatable if its bares any usefull ness to anything other than completly sedentary individuals). But do bare in mind that large muscle mass puts the body under the same straign that a large fat weight would. Unnessesary muscle is often quite damaging to health.

Surf-Matt

I'm 9-10% fat and "overweight" on a doctors chart

The Northern Monkey

ride_whenever wrote:

I'd tell her to dlck off, BMI is indeed a load of crock, and doesn't work for the majority of people.

body fat percentage is much better.


That has made me very angry.,...............
:evil:

agreed. According to my BMI i'm clinically obese!! But according to my waist to hip ratio i'm underweight!!
if you have a high muscle mass your BMI will be off....muscle weights more than fat and so your BMI isn't a reflective result.

Belv

EnduroJCB wrote:

It wasn't a full on medical. Just height, weight, eys, bloo and urine tests etc so I was fully clothed in a baggy shirt etc so she couldn't see my amazingly muscular physique.

Pinch of salt duly taken. I think she just mentioned it cos she mentions it to everyone. I've got a pretty muscular build if think. Nothing major mind you. I'm not a pin head or anything,and although I have a good stones worth of insulation, that 18.5% fat will definately drop over the next couple of months!

So as it's now a couple of months later...?

endurojcb

16.0% at the mo, plus I'm still carrying a knee injury so can't fully train until the specialist has decided what to dow ith it!

Cut out the midweek beers, chocolate and crisps. Loads more fresh fruit and veg and light exercise due to the injury, but it's coming off!

When I can start training properly it'll drop off much quicker!