How accurate is BMI?

!!_1Lit.co.uk

Just wondering how accurate the Body Mass Index figures are. I have looked at the following site and it says I am overweight:

http://nutrel.litmania.com/bmi.html

Thanks.

ArphaRima

If I remember rightly the BMI range is specific to men and women for their ideal weight to height ratio. I guess you may be a man and it is calibrated for women...

qBot

Well, this thing is innacurate, i tried it out and it's telling me that i'm overweight too. Even though i have bmi of 24. that's complete ar**. Your the right weight if your between 20 and 25. It tells me i'm the correct weight if i make it so my bmi is 22. which is b*****

This is a better site
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/calc-bmi.htm

tunney

Hate to break it to you lads but for the majority of people on this board BMI is accurate. Unless your pumping SERIOUS iron and believe me most of you aren't(don't get me wrong I'm not saying I do, I barely do any resistance training at all). So BMI is accurate for the average joe soap and yes you are overweight.

tunney

Oh and Cuan the site you recommend over the other one it gives the same results. You just have to convert lbs and feet to kg and cms.

qBot

I never said it didn't, but it doesn't give u the piece of text saying your overweight if you bmi is over 22. you are the perfect weight between 20 and 25, not if your exactly 22, that's the impression the first site gives

dudara

It's a guide, or a place to start from, but I wouldn't believe in it religiously. It doesn't really account for physiological differences, like being a large-breasted woman, and it falls down completely if you're a well muscled man.

For a more accurate indication of health levels, go get a professional bodyfat measurement done. This usually involves measurements with callipers, and is more accurate.

Genghis

BMI is an average, aggregated comparison benchmark. It only takes two factors into account, height and weight, and it runs these through an algorithm to produce a result.

While you may be overweight, this does not necessarily mean you have a problem. It does not imply at all that you are unfit, are unhealthy, need to lose weight, have a high body fat % etc. Get a proper health assessment, one that takes account of body fat, muscle, body composition, fitness etc and then decide whether your weight is a problem.

Look up websites of rugby teams, soccer teams, etc and you will be able to work out BMI for professional athletes - in many cases you will see that they have 25 and 30 plus BMIs.

tunney

Rugby teams maybe, soccer teams not a chance. Look say what ever yuo will. For the MAJORITY of people a BMI that indicates being overweight MEANS that that perons IS overweight.

rs

As people have already mentioned, BMI is intended only as a guideline. But typically, for your average joe, it's a pretty good indication if you are underweight, average or overweight.

It does not factor in your body composition. So people who are very muscular, will obviously be heavier and have a higher BMI. That does not neccesarily mean that they are overweight (in the unhealthy sense of the word) It is possible to have a BMI of over 25 while having a body fat percentage of less than 10%.

But before you start to think, oh I must be really muscular, and that's why my BMI says I'm overweight. Perhaps ask youself a few questions.

Can you bench press your body weight for at least 10 reps?
Can you squat your body weight for at least 10 reps?
Do you look like a rugby player? bodybuilder?

If not, maybe you're not as muscular as you think you are?

Maybe it's time to cut down on the twinkies and the ding-dongs

Genghis

Originally posted by tunney
Rugby teams maybe, soccer teams not a chance. Look say what ever yuo will. For the MAJORITY of people a BMI that indicates being overweight MEANS that that perons IS overweight.

You possibly think I disagree with you. Yes, BMI means you are "overweight". My point was that it does not necessarily mean a person is unfit, unhealthy, etc (though in a lot of cases it will). As a guide to the state of an individuals health and fitness it is useless.

Paul Scholes is an example of a soccer player who is overweight (BMI - 25.4). Roy Keane is close to 24. (no time to investigate further)

tunney

Unless yuo post links I'm going to presume that you are making stuff up rather than telling the truth.

Genghis

Especially for yuo (sic) Tunney

Paul Scholes weighs 73.47kg and is 170cm "tall" according to his offical bio here on the Manchester United website.

Using the link above, (Thanks Fluffer ), inputting these variables gives a BMI for Paul Scholes of 25.4.

Repeating the procedure for Roy Keane (link here), with a weight of 76.64kg and a height of 180cm gives a BMI of 23.7.

tunney

Grand, now I believe you that BMI does not apply for some professional atheletes. I still believe it applies to tubby f*&ks

Trojan

Originally posted by tunney
Grand, now I believe you that BMI does not apply for some professional atheletes. I still believe it applies to tubby f*&ks

I thought you said "for the majority of people on this board BMI is accurate".

Unless I'm pumping SERIOUS iron and (according to you) I'm not, then it does.

Ok, my point is: tunney, you don't have a clue what you're talking about here. That's not normally a problem, unless you pretend to be speaking from a position of knowledge.

So don't.

Oh, and I'm obese by BMI standards, I don't "pump SERIOUS iron", and afaic, it's all a load of bs. It doesn't "not apply for some professional atheletes [sic]" - it doesn't apply to *any* professional athlete, or most amateurs for that matter.

Let's get off the BMI question, it's not very helpful to anyone.

Al.

daveirl

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