Why are people still using the BMI? #2

[Jefflindholm]

Sorry - I left the wrong link a few minutes ago. The correct link is weightzonefactor.com

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Jeff,

I did try clicking on the link you suggested and I got as far as completing all the questions but stopped when it asked me to tick an 'agreement box' - I wasn't sure what I was agreeing to, and therefore didn't get my results.

However, here is a link about BMI that I personally think helps explain why many people are mentioning BMI:

noo.org.uk/uploads/doc789_4...

There are advantages and disadvantages to any system, but BMI is used worldwide and I have always found it useful myself - although I do use the 'new BMI' because I'm relatively tall (6 feet 1 inch).

You commented in your earlier post that nobody takes it seriously - or similar words to that, but I think that quite a few people in this forum use the term and find it helpful.

Lowcal

[Jefflindholm in reply to Zest]

I'm a mathematician specializing in obesity statistics, and I'm afraid that the noo.org article you mention is outdated. Think of an active football player and his sedentary, alcoholic grandmother. They could easily be the same height and weight, but he would be solid muscle and she would be solid ... something else. However, they would have identical BMIs.

Mathematically, the BMI works fairly well for women who are medium height or tall with medium frames. It also works well for men who are slightly shorter than average and have narrow frames. Other than that, it produces garbage. The BMI will tell a tall, thin basketball player that he is obese, and it will tell a short, sedentary, obese Asian woman that she is perfect. The BMI should be ignored

I am familiar with weightzonefactor.com and it is excellent. I often recommend it - it is better than the BMI or the measurements that involve the waist.

[GoogleMe in reply to Jefflindholm]

The front page of the website you've linked to only talks about pounds with no option for metric. This suggests to me that it is not targeted at a UK audience (unlike HealthUnlocked and unlike the NHS weight loss plan this forum is about)