BMI Accuracy?

Question

Is the BMI really accurate? I play hockey 6 times a week (this weekend alone i'm on the ice 6 times in a four day span (tourny))
I go to the gym inbetween, I eat at best 1200 calories a day... And weigh 145. But anytime I check my BMI i've had a few say I'm obese and others say I'm other weight.

I'm 18, am I too heavy?

Is it really accurate? Half the time I tell people my weight they don't believe me because I look smaller.

I'm between 5'3 and 5'4

Answer 1

At 5ft3 and 145, this is technically 5lb overweight, but certainly NOT obese.

However, with all that extra muscle mass, you are probably perfectly healthy. Check your body fat percentage, that is what really matters, not your weight.

HTH : )

Answer 2

You say you play hockey, eat a good amount of calories (assuming they are from healthy foods, not 1200 calories of chips and candy and junk food), and work out, so you probably are fine. You dont mention your height, but as a rule of thumb, you should weigh 100 lbs, plus 5 lbs for every inch over five feet. (so at 145 lbs, you should be about 5'9, give or take) if the measurement is way off, have yourself checked at the docs if it bothers you, but you are probably fine.

How do you measure your BMI? do you simply use the height/weight formula? if you do, your bmi is not likely to be very accurate. A true Body Mass Index measures the amount of body fat in your body by water displacement, caliper measurement, or some other similar means. You can be 5 feet tall, weigh 150 lbs, and be fit and healthy if most of that weight is muscle. On the other hand, you could be 6 feet tall, weigh 125 lbs -- but if most of that is fat, and not muscle, you are unhealthy. Most gyms, and almost all hospitals/doctors offices will test your true BMI for you for little or no charge (5 dollars at most gyms.)

Answer 3

Well, it matters about your height also. But since you play hockey 6 times a week, it may be because your muscular. The BMI calculator doesnt ask what your body frame is (small, medium, large) so it can be inaccurate at times. Dont live your life by what the BMI calculator. If other people say your not overweight, and you feel normal, then your okay. The BMI calculator is just a rough estimate of where your weight should be. In the end, it doesnt really matter what the scale or BMI calculator says, its how you see yourself in the mirror. That is the main way you should know if your overweight or not. And if you are worried and not sure, you can go to your doctor. He can tell you if your overweight or not because he knows your measurements and body build. I hope this helped!

Answer 4

I think a lot of that weight comes from muscles. You play hockey, you go to the gym, you have muscle. Muscle weighs more then fat. That's one thing that causes people to get all mopey when they exercise is that they loose weight (fat) but then they see the scales go up and all it is is the adding of muscles.

You are not too heavy. The BMI is a joke. You're athletic and healthy. Trust me on this. I"ve looked into the BMI and the Ideal Weight that is calculated from that. According the BMI, I should be like 115 pounds. I'll only be that once I'm dead and buried for two years.

Chuck the BMI out the window and stop obsessing.

Answer 5

I think your answer there is that you play hockey six times a week. Muscle is heavier than fat, or 'denser' rather, and the BMI does not account for the difference between muscle and fat. It just tells you how dense it thinks you are. So for an atheletic woman, it would not be nearly as accurate since women tend to be more fat than muscle so the tables are calibrated for that. Obesity takes a BMI of over 30, I believe. You look great in your 360 pics, I can't imagine that you're at all overweight, and certainly not obese.

Answer 6

i'm 5''a million and 110lb and that i'm a length 8 to 10 and that i've got have been given a 20.4 BMI so if a 8 to 10 length is healthy for me easily a length 10 could be healthy for you as you're taller too so of course you would be heavier! Plus keep in mind in case you do common exercising you will in all probability have extra muscle than time-honored, so in case you do exercising then this may well be why the BMI stated you're obese because it is not precise whilst somebody has extra advantageous quantities of muscle than conventional. YOUR not fat SO do not hassle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

Sometimes BMI can be misleading if the individual is muscular. You sound like an athlete, so you probably have more muscle than might be expected for most people your height. Muscle actually weighs more than fat. I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you.

My wife is a Clinical Dietitian (Master's Degree in Nutrition), and I have heard her say that.

Answer 8

muscle weighs more than fat. If you are muscular you will look like you weigh less than that. If you are active and comfortable with your body, then it doesnt matter what the charts say. I guess 145 might be a lot for someone who is 5' tall. I would say that if you're 5'5 and have a broad frame, you can carry 145 without being fat.

Answer 9

If you look good, and feel good, then don't worry about any of that BMI stuff.
I recently lost 105 lbs, and according to the BMI, I am still obese. Now granted, I do still need to lose weight, but OBESE. Come on. Don't worry, and just stay happy.

Mike

Answer 10

Hi,
Well BMI measures the fat on your body occording to a nation wide diet thing. Of course every person is different. If you are a hockey player you have way more muscle than fat so muscle weighs more than fat. Keep that in mind. I would not worry at all.