Hi all, I just had an email from Health Unlocked suggesting I join this forum. I've been a member of the PMR forum for a while. I just wanted to say that although I'm very much interested in healthy eating and healthy body composition, I'm not a fan of BMI as a measurement. It's been around for over a century, and as I understand it, it was never meant to be taken as an 'absolute'. So relying on BMI as a guide to healthy weight is I think a mistake. It certainly is for me, and I can't be that unusual.
Here's what I mean: I attach a screenshot of my BMI according to the NHS website, and a photo of what I look like. I'm 5' 5", size 12-14 and weigh 12 stone 3lbs.
The NHS tells me I need to lose between 1 stone 7lbs and and 4 stone 5lbs. If anyone can tell me where the spare 4 stone is I'd be grateful! I'm fed up of being called overweight and I've had it my whole life. I now know my body well (I'm 59) and I could I'm sure lose one stone at a push, but it would be purely for vanity reasons, and I'd find it hard to maintain.
I find people are unwilling to talk about this, and sometimes wonder if I'm the only one questioning BMI! If anyone here is feeling the same I'd absolutely love to know. Thanks peeps
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Ebn49
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I don't think BMI is the end all for everyone. My daughter is 5 feet 3 inches and weighs 145 lbs. When she goes for a health checkup they say she is overweight. The thing is she is tiny and ripped. She lifts heavy weight at the gym all the time. I think you look really good. You must be heavy boned or large boned. I am a little taller than you and weigh 155. I have weighed as much as 172 but it was too much weight for me to carry. I definitely did not look as good as you do. Also, I am small boned and small muscled. It wouldn't hurt me to lose 10 pounds but according to the BMI chart I am good. Also, I have lost nearly 10 pounds but found it hard to maintain. If I were you I think I would go how well I feel and look.
Hi Pam, thank you, that's very interesting... I do think there's something crazy about the ratio between height and weight being used as the 'gold standard'. I used to think 'oh well' but when I think of how I've been affected by the 'overweight' label all these years it makes me angry. Your daughter must be so annoyed when told she's overweight! And you give a good example of being someone who knows when and if she needs to lose weight, sometimes the opposite of the 'advice'. I think I am confident enough now to just go on how I look and feel, but it's taken me 40 years.
My BMI ( I’m 5’2) I should be between 9.10 and 7.3...at 7.3 I would look ( and possibly be) ill, at 9.10 I’m beginning to be uncomfortable. So much depends on height, build and muscle tone it is a very imperfect measure. Tall, well muscled athletes will be counted as obese ! Mad!
I'm 5'2 and weighed 7 stone 3 lbs following a bevereament. I was told I didn't look human and relatives were very concerned about me. I sort of enjoyed being so thin and seeing my ribs etc but one day I looked in the mirror properly and saw how gaunt my features were, I looked far too thin. For the BMI to say this is perfect weight for my height is downright dangerous.
I'm 7 stone 8 lbs now and my face is better but still too gaunt. I take size 8 tops which feels nice to order but I looked and felt so much better at 8 stone 3 lbs which was my weight for years. I was a standard size 10 and looked slim buy not unhealthy. You are right, 9 stone 10 lbs would be too large and anything under 8 stone is unacceptable for 5'2.
I don't know who makes up these ideal weights or specific parameters but they tend to allow people to go to far on both extremes. You should add on half a stone to the healthy beginning weight and cut half a stone off the end as that is always a little too forgiving. I shudder how I looked at nearly 7 stone, there is no way that is correct for my height. Others factors must be taken into account.
You are right about BMI, it doesn't take into account, muscle density, bone density etc, so it isn't accurate.
A body builder with no body fat would be classed as obese if they used it.
Try a tape measure around the places you want to lose the weight..
Totally agree that bmi is a poor indicator of a healthy weight. Remember Mike Tyson the World champion professional boxer? 5 feet 10 inches and 16 stone of pure lean muscle, hardly an ounce of fat anywhere on his body, and as fit as its possible to be.
Yet according to our doctors he'd be obese and told to lose some weight! He'd be told to lose about 4stone! Ridiculous!
It's a flawed formula that has no place in the modern world. Surely we have the technology now to come up with a realistic alternative? Ditch this antique half baked idea! Maybe petition Parliament?
I think you look perfect as you are & I totally agree with you on BMI. I have the same issues as SusieHicks. I'm the same height and my weight does vary depending on how much stress I've been under. At the moment, due to steriods and inactivity I weigh a few pounds over 10st which is apparently overweight according to BMI. I feel quite healthy around 9st 7lbs to 10stone. Like you though I am classed as overweight according to BMI. It's about time a new weight guide system was used. Like you say, you know your own body & to me you look great so stick with that if it's comfortable for you.
Well I guess BMI is just a standard of measurement that’s been around for many years.
Most important is if you’re happy with your body, don’t let some numbers get you down. Cheer up and enjoy what you’ve got, you know best 👍 After all you’ve lived with yourself all these fantastic years 😉
I agree - BMI does not do the job. I am the other extreme to you. My settled weight for the last few years, at 9st4 was nicely in the "healthy" range for my height of 5ft2, albeit just into the top quarter of the range, so I saw no reason to worry, especially as I lost a lot of weight about 15 years ago and kept it steady ever since. Then this spring I decided to measure my waist, and found it was over 34in when I held it in as hard as possible - making me obese and in danger!
I decided I need to reduce this to half my height, which would be 31in, but hopefully not having to pull in hard to achieve it! I am making slow and steady progress, as planned, with an inch to go and I feel so much better for it.
I'm fat. My BMI and the mirror agree that I'm fat. I have lost some weight and am on the way to lose more. But my GP keeps telling me that my ideal weight is a weight that I last had when I was about 10 years old ( a long long time ago). That's really unlikely/impossible to achieve. I wonder how many people hear that sort of thing and then decide there's no point even trying to lose any weight because they'll never be able to get it "right" .
Thank you, Slipstick, yes, you've expressed the problem perfectly - that being given an unrealistic/meaningless BMI to aim for can be dispiriting at best, dangerous at worst. It's not fit for purpose, but no-one with any authority appears to be questioning it and this is what makes me angry.
We carry weight differently and you do not look at all overweight. My BMI is lower than yours (27.2) but a photo of me in your clothes would look fatter as I have slim shoulders, back, arms, and legs, all my excess weight sits round my middle.
Hi ebn49, I used to be in a job (deep sea diver) which demanded a annual physical and I remember several times nurses calculating my BMI then turning around looking at me and saying They had made a mistake somewhere with the calculation! Several times also I remember being told that the BMI measurement was being called into question as to its accuricy. Go with your gut feeling your body will tell you if and when you become to heavy.
Hi Buick, it's less that I'm worried for myself, more that I'm angry that others are still being told this, from a young age, and it can scar your relationship with food for ever. It also makes me question all the media stats about '62% of UK adults are overweight' because you just know the ONLY thing they are taking notice of to come to that statistic is &%^$£! BMI...
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