I have always had the same problem. I'm just under 6' 5", and I weigh about 235. I do cardio and weight training at least 4 days per week, and I eat very healthily. I have very little excess weight, and I'm fairly toned. However, if I do an online BMI, I show as being nearly obese. Are there any of these that are more accurate. I think they fail to take bone structure and muscle content into account.
2006-06-13 10:32:05 · 3 answers · asked by gilly 3 in Health ➔ Diet & Fitness
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a handy tool for a quick evaluation of overall health, but that's about it. It is fundamentally flawed in that it doesn't take into account body type or lean body mass. Many of today's elite athletes would be considered obese by the BMI. For example, Arizona Cardinals running back Edgerrin James is 6ft 0in tall and weighs 225 pounds. According to any BMI calculator, he is obese. Obviously such a well conditioned athlete should not be considered obese, and here is where the BMI fails.
If I were you, I would go to your local health club and have them perform a caliper test to measure your bodyfat. Bodyfat is a much more reliable indicator of overall health than the BMI is. If your bodyfat is less than 20%, you have nothing to be concerned about (generally... you should still schedule a physical with your doctor once in a while). If your bodyfat is 20-25%, you have a slight risk of health problems. 25-30% is a moderate risk of increased health problems, and 30%+ puts you in the high risk category.
So go to your local health club and ask them to perform a bodyfat analysis on you. This should give you a good idea if you are carrying any excess fat. From your description, it sounds as if you have some muscle weight, and this is what is throwing your BMI outside the "normal" range.
2006-06-13 10:48:46 · answer #1 · answered by ? 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The only truly accurate method is to immerse yourself in water. This is done at either a hospital or research center. I wouldn't worry about it if you're happy with what you see in the mirror.
2006-06-13 10:37:59 · answer #2 · answered by Thrasher 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://www.deathclock.com/
This should help you.
2006-06-13 10:39:47 · answer #3 · answered by caitie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋