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More proof BMI is a joke

Home ▸ Archive ▸ Serious Business ▸ More proof BMI is a joke
OneBuckeye's avatar

OneBuckeye

Senior Member

5,888 posts
Oct 8, 2010 8:44 AM
Health screenings today at work, and my boss who ran the boston marathon this year is 1 point away from being overweight. Dude runs 10 miles a day wtf. I know it is inaccurate for people with any amount of muscle, but this guy is a stick. What a joke.
Oct 8, 2010 8:44am
FatHobbit's avatar

FatHobbit

Senior Member

8,651 posts
Oct 8, 2010 9:01 AM
+1
Oct 8, 2010 9:01am
J

jmog

Senior Member

6,567 posts
Oct 8, 2010 9:09 AM
I am about 5'7" or 5'8", and weigh 190-195 I am a fairly muscular as i work out all the time. According to BMI I am right on the border of overweight and obese. If I'm 5'7" I'm obese, if I'm 5'8" I'm overweight (I'm actually in between the two).

One time I had a doctor tell me I was obese after he figured my BMI. I asked him to look at me (had my shirt off at the time) and please tell me where I could lose 40-50 lbs of "fat" to get down to the BS BMI "ideal" weight for my height.

He was dumbfounded on what to say next.

I was actually worried when I setup my personal life insurance for my wife/kids just in case. I set it high enough that I had to go through a health screening. I asked the people ahead of time were they just going to go by height/weigt ratios like the BMI. They said no, they actually take blood pressure measurements and a blood sample and analyze the sample for cholesterol, and other indicators of things like heart attack/stroke.

As soon as the screener walked into my house, he looked at me and said "why were you worried? you'll be low risk/low premium" I just said "according to BMI, I'm obese, so I was worried I would be high risk/high premium". He said "we don't use that BS".
Oct 8, 2010 9:09am
B

BR1986FB

Senior Member

24,104 posts
Oct 8, 2010 9:21 AM
Through P90X & Insanity I've gotten down from 289 lbs at 6'1" to the point where I can see the beginning of the "washboard abs." If you went by BMI, I'm obese.
Oct 8, 2010 9:21am
OneBuckeye's avatar

OneBuckeye

Senior Member

5,888 posts
Oct 8, 2010 9:36 AM
I totally get that BMI will never work for muscular people, but I thought it wouldn't put the marathon runner close to overweight. Plus I love the 200+ pound woman health screener talking to me about being healthy.
Oct 8, 2010 9:36am
bigdaddy2003's avatar

bigdaddy2003

Senior Member

7,384 posts
Oct 8, 2010 9:38 AM
Definitely a joke.
Oct 8, 2010 9:38am
krambman's avatar

krambman

Senior Member

3,606 posts
Oct 8, 2010 9:50 AM
I've never understood BMI. I was looking at the chart in the doctor's office one day and I'll admit that I'm overweight, but if I were to get down to the ideal weight for my height I'd be thinner than I was in HS (when I wasn't overweight) and I wouldn't have an ounce of muscle on me.
Oct 8, 2010 9:50am
B

BR1986FB

Senior Member

24,104 posts
Oct 8, 2010 9:55 AM
krambman;511569 wrote:I've never understood BMI. I was looking at the chart in the doctor's office one day and I'll admit that I'm overweight, but if I were to get down to the ideal weight for my height I'd be thinner than I was in HS (when I wasn't overweight) and I wouldn't have an ounce of muscle on me.

Agreed. If I got down to the weight prescribed, Sally Struthers would be doing "Feed the Children" commercials for me because I'd look like one of those kids.
Oct 8, 2010 9:55am
Fly4Fun's avatar

Fly4Fun

Senior Member

7,730 posts
Oct 8, 2010 12:54 PM
I'm 5'10" 205 pounds. By BMI, I am pretty sure that I am obese. I can also run a 6 minute mile. I lift 3-4 times a week and run a few times a week as well. I'm not a professional athlete... but I am in pretty good shape.

BMI is not a standard that should be used for people who actually work out and stay in good shape while putting on muscle.
Oct 8, 2010 12:54pm
Glory Days's avatar

Glory Days

Senior Member

7,809 posts
Oct 8, 2010 12:55 PM
OneBuckeye;511513 wrote:Health screenings today at work, and my boss who ran the boston marathon this year is 1 point away from being overweight. Dude runs 10 miles a day wtf. I know it is inaccurate for people with any amount of muscle, but this guy is a stick. What a joke.

its not a measure of being in shape and able to run a marathon, its a measure of being overweight etc. and its also not meant to be an exact science, just a quick general summary of your mass. like others have pointed out, there are more indepth tests that can be run.

and for the record, 6'2" 205lbs BMI = 26.3, overweight.
Oct 8, 2010 12:55pm
Iliketurtles's avatar

Iliketurtles

Senior Member

8,191 posts
Oct 8, 2010 1:05 PM
I'm 6'2 155LBs... I've never really looked at BMI nor have I ever cared but if a doctor ever tried to tell me I was overweight I'd laugh and tell him he was an idiot.
Oct 8, 2010 1:05pm
justincredible's avatar

justincredible

Nick Mangold

32,056 posts
Oct 8, 2010 1:23 PM
At 6'4", 190lbs I am at a normal weight. Fatties. :)
Oct 8, 2010 1:23pm
I

I Wear Pants

Senior Member

16,223 posts
Oct 8, 2010 2:38 PM
It isn't a cut and dry thing. Just sort of a general look on your weight. Obviously it isn't always correct but it can be a pretty good "you may want to think about loosing some weight" tool.
Oct 8, 2010 2:38pm
Heretic's avatar

Heretic

Son of the Sun

18,820 posts
Oct 8, 2010 2:45 PM
I just go by the HI (Heretic Index), which says that as long as you (a) don't need a sponge on a stick to wash your back and/or (b) don't get so gassed from standing up that you need a 15-minute break --- everything is A-OK!
Oct 8, 2010 2:45pm
redstreak one's avatar

redstreak one

Senior Member

1,152 posts
Oct 8, 2010 3:37 PM
My bmi is 31.1, I am 6' 5" 262. I have lost 48 pounds in just under a year. I have ran 3 super sprint triathlons and 2 5 k's this year. My best time in the 5k was 28:45. I average running about 14 miles per week, 30 + miles biking and 1 mile swimming each week. I would have to weigh 210 to get my bmi to normal range. I weighed 190 in high school sophmore year and was a stick. I graduated at 245' and didnt have that much excess on me. My doctor laughs about the bmi scale. He takes into account my build and genetics.
Oct 8, 2010 3:37pm
fiction's avatar

fiction

USA American

347 posts
Oct 8, 2010 5:24 PM
justincredible;511833 wrote:At 6'4", 190lbs I am at a normal weight. Fatties. :)

good luck tonight, Bronson.
Oct 8, 2010 5:24pm
justincredible's avatar

justincredible

Nick Mangold

32,056 posts
Oct 8, 2010 5:27 PM
fiction;512048 wrote:good luck tonight, Bronson.

lol.
Oct 8, 2010 5:27pm
Mohican00's avatar

Mohican00

Dirty White Boy

3,394 posts
Oct 8, 2010 6:22 PM
jmog;511534 wrote:I am about 5'7" or 5'8", and weigh 190-195 I am a fairly muscular as i work out all the time. According to BMI I am right on the border of overweight and obese. If I'm 5'7" I'm obese, if I'm 5'8" I'm overweight (I'm actually in between the two).
I'm 5'10" 180 lbs and exercise (weights, cardio) 4-5 days a week and asked my doctor the same thing after noticing that I was borderline obese on his BMI chart.

He said "well maybe you could stand to lose an extra 10 lbs." I couldn't fucking believe it
Oct 8, 2010 6:22pm
darbypitcher22's avatar

darbypitcher22

Senior Member

8,000 posts
Oct 8, 2010 6:57 PM
BMI is a joke and I don't think it should ever be used
Oct 8, 2010 6:57pm
sleeper's avatar

sleeper

Legend

27,879 posts
Oct 8, 2010 10:05 PM
Looks like the tests works then, you're marathon runner isn't overweight.

I love BMI because it brings out all the "its such crap" talk from all the people that don't know what they are talking about. It's not perfect, sure, but its pretty damn accurate more often than not, so stop crying and get a real job.
Oct 8, 2010 10:05pm
Mohican00's avatar

Mohican00

Dirty White Boy

3,394 posts
Oct 9, 2010 7:24 AM
sleeper;512605 wrote:Looks like the tests works then, you're marathon runner isn't overweight.

This sentence doesn't make sense. Looks like my Alma mater failed in teaching you English.
Oct 9, 2010 7:24am
C

clickclickboom

Senior Member

242 posts
Oct 28, 2010 7:59 PM
Iliketurtles;511812 wrote:I'm 6'2 155LBs... I've never really looked at BMI nor have I ever cared but if a doctor ever tried to tell me I was overweight I'd laugh and tell him he was an idiot.

You're almost underweight chief

I'm just barely normal weight.. I've never been so proud:)
Oct 28, 2010 7:59pm