BMI - Should I be worried?

D13exile · 12-07-2020 5:09pm #1

I exercise 5 times a week, cycling and running. I’d consider myself fit for my age (51) as I did a 52km cycle yesterday in one hour and 40 minutes. I’m 5ft 10, 96kgs have a 44 inch chest and 34 inch waist. I’ve little body fat. However at a recent health check, my BMI placed me in the obese range (bordering severely obese). I thought this was bs but I was told to lose weight. My partner says I’ve none to lose but the health check and BMI state otherwise. Should I be worried?

karlitob · 12-07-2020 5:12pm

D13exile wrote: »

I exercise 5 times a week, cycling and running. I’d consider myself fit for my age (51) as I did a 52km cycle yesterday in one hour and 40 minutes. I’m 5ft 10, 96kgs have a 44 inch chest and 34 inch waist. I’ve little body fat. However at a recent health check, my BMI placed me in the obese range (bordering severely obese). I thought this was bs but I was told to lose weight. My partner says I’ve none to lose but the health check and BMI state otherwise. Should I be worried?

Nope. Get a DXA if you want to know about body fat.

Otherwise, BMI is useful on a population basis, but not on an individual one, generally. It’s only an indicator - if everything else you say is true, then you’ve no worries. Though people do overestimate their health.

D13exile · 12-07-2020 5:25pm

karlitob wrote: »

Nope. Get a DXA if you want to know about body fat.

Otherwise, BMI is useful on a population basis, but not on an individual one, generally. It’s only an indicator - if everything else you say is true, then you’ve no worries. Though people do overestimate their health.

Everything else in the health check was fine, resting heart rate of 56, low cholesterol, blood sugar normal, liver and kidneys were good. So bit of a shock to be told I’m obese!

Wesser · 12-07-2020 5:44pm

Stand in the mirror and look at yourself side on. Do not suck in your belly. If your belly sticks out.... you need to loose weight.

_Brian · 12-07-2020 5:46pm

BMI is a decent indicator for general population but where you move into sports people with lots of muscle it flounders a bit.

Man with broke phone · 12-07-2020 5:56pm

I put my robust immune system down to my perfect BMI. Theres alot of pro wrestlers and body builders who claim to be all muscle but theres a crazy high amount of them seem to die from heart problems.
If you are eating enough to be overweight on the bmi scale you are probably also taking more than one poop toilet break at work a day leading to a loss of productivity for your employer. I'm guessing your mood would be happier too.
People will come along and say Jonah Lomu was overweight on his BMI scale or Andre the giant, being that size will get you in the end no matter what the tape around the belly tells ye. I'd listen to the doctor and not some random dude on the internet.

karlitob · 12-07-2020 6:12pm

D13exile wrote: »

Everything else in the health check was fine, resting heart rate of 56, low cholesterol, blood sugar normal, liver and kidneys were good. So bit of a shock to be told I’m obese!

You weren’t - a BMI gives ranges against a normal population. Only the DXA (and a few other methods) can tell you body fat.

If everything else was fine, then it’s fine.

You seem to be hung up about it. Wonder why? You seem to be aware of your health - it’s hard to believe you didn’t ever calculate your BMI before. Particularly if you exercise so much, understand resting heart rate etc.

D13exile · 13-07-2020 9:48am

karlitob wrote: »

You weren’t - a BMI gives ranges against a normal population. Only the DXA (and a few other methods) can tell you body fat.

If everything else was fine, then it’s fine.

You seem to be hung up about it. Wonder why? You seem to be aware of your health - it’s hard to believe you didn’t ever calculate your BMI before. Particularly if you exercise so much, understand resting heart rate etc.

I guess I’m “hung up about it” as men in my family don’t live too long! I’m 51 now. Both my grandfathers died at 54 and 56 of heart attack and schirrosis of the liver respectively. My father died at 64 from pancreatic cancer. So I’ve tried to beat the odds by living healthily, eating well, not drinking alcohol and exercising. My belly doesn’t hang out when I look at the mirror side on and I’ve got a well defined abdominal region. This is not vanity, it’s trying to delay the visit from the grim reaper! I get a full health check every two years and this is the first time I’ve been told I’m “obese”. Jeez I’ve been trying to pinch flab since I got the news and there’s none to pinch! My partner says if I was obese, it would show when I’m all Lycra-ed up to go cycling but she says I’m solid muscle. I spoke to some guys I go cycling with who are roughly the same height as me but they’re more typical cyclists as in narrow shoulders and chest. They’re averaging 80kgs which is 16kgs lighter than me. I’m built more like a rugby player, broad shoulders and chest but I can leave them standing when out for cycles. It’s wrecking my head tbh but I’m going to see someone and see if I am “obese” and if so, what I can do about it. I’ve still got young kids who I want to stick around for a while longer.

karlitob · 13-07-2020 10:41am

D13exile wrote: »

I guess I’m “hung up about it” as men in my family don’t live too long! I’m 51 now. Both my grandfathers died at 54 and 56 of heart attack and schirrosis of the liver respectively. My father died at 64 from pancreatic cancer. So I’ve tried to beat the odds by living healthily, eating well, not drinking alcohol and exercising. My belly doesn’t hang out when I look at the mirror side on and I’ve got a well defined abdominal region. This is not vanity, it’s trying to delay the visit from the grim reaper! I get a full health check every two years and this is the first time I’ve been told I’m “obese”. Jeez I’ve been trying to pinch flab since I got the news and there’s none to pinch! My partner says if I was obese, it would show when I’m all Lycra-ed up to go cycling but she says I’m solid muscle. I spoke to some guys I go cycling with who are roughly the same height as me but they’re more typical cyclists as in narrow shoulders and chest. They’re averaging 80kgs which is 16kgs lighter than me. I’m built more like a rugby player, broad shoulders and chest but I can leave them standing when out for cycles. It’s wrecking my head tbh but I’m going to see someone and see if I am “obese” and if so, what I can do about it. I’ve still got young kids who I want to stick around for a while longer.

With the greatest of respect, and I mean this, I think you would benefit more from speaking to someone on the effects of those very sad deaths on you. It’s a common that people get stressed when confronted by issues that affect their mortality. This imaginary line of 54 and 56. I’m not explaining it very well. But this date/time is forcing you to confront something very upsetting and you can’t see past that time.

You’re as fit and as healthy as you can be. I’d go and speak with someone.

D13exile · 13-07-2020 6:06pm

karlitob wrote: »

With the greatest of respect, and I mean this, I think you would benefit more from speaking to someone on the effects of those very sad deaths on you. It’s a common that people get stressed when confronted by issues that affect their mortality. This imaginary line of 54 and 56. I’m not explaining it very well. But this date/time is forcing you to confront something very upsetting and you can’t see past that time.

You’re as fit and as healthy as you can be. I’d go and speak with someone.

Thanks. Absolutely no offence taken. Yes it has always been at the back of my mind that male longevity in my family is somewhat abrupt. I’ve no uncles left alive out of a fairly large extended family. They all died in their sixties. I’ll discuss with my partner as she is good at the “psychological” side of things.

BMI - Should I be worried?

Comments