Does anyone else hate the BMI chart??

Question

ok, I'll put it out there. I am overweight. I'm 5'4 and weight 225 lbs. So ok I'm fat. yeah I know . It's hard to lose weight when you got two little kids and no time. ( i know excuses, excuses ) but here's what annoys me. According to my BMI Im considered obese. Ok, how in the heck am I obese. ?? I sure as heck don't look it and I sure don't feel it. I think they really need to revise how the BMI chart works because when I was a healthy weight of 180 , I say healthy because I was. I wore a size 16 and just because of my height I was still borderline obese. Which was crap . Anyone else sick of that thing?

Answer 1

the BMI was never intended to address the individual as it is based on statistical categorisation.

you would be considered obese by either the BMI or through body fat analysis. for females a body fat % above 30 would be considered obese. at 5'4 and 225 your body fat is probably closer to 45% (+/-)

Answer 2

I'm 5'10" and at the moment weigh around 215lbs. I have a considerable amount of muscle from days gone by when I used to body build. At my contest weight of 200-205 and a body fat of below 5% the BMI chart still showed me as borderline obese. The chart is just one of many different measurement tools and there is a need to name the levels so people know where they are in that measurement tool and can gauge their progress. What I'm saying is don't get hung up on the 'word' obese. Everyone has their own vision as to what an obese person looks like and your vision about it should be the only one that matters to you. Personally I think the mirror is the best tool. If I look in the mirror and don't like what I see then I do something about it. I don't put much stock into what society says someone should look like. If you're healthy and happy that's all that matters.

Answer 3

I hate the BMI chart too, but for opposite reasons. It says I'm drastically underweight when I'm not, at all. I'm average, I look and feel healthy.

I'm 90 lbs and 5'0. That's a little underweight, but not as much as the BMI chart makes it out to be. See, the "ideal" weight would somebody 5'0 would be 100 lbs, then add 5 lbs for every inch.

When I enter my stastics in a calculator, it says I'm severly underweight. But when I enter my friend's, who is 5'5 and 115 lbs, also ten pounds underweight for her height, it says it's normal.

The BMI chart is against short people, apparently. It's full of BS. My doctor, who's new, thinks I'm severly underweight and need to gain at LEAST 10 lbs because the BMI chart tells her so. Heck no I'm not gaining 10 lbs. It's not fair that I have to weigh more because I'm short, but taller people can be underweight for their height without being harrassed. How is that fair?

Instead, we should take account of our health by how we look and feel, and also our muscle masses, because muscle weighs more than fat, which can cause people to be heavier but look slimmer.

Answer 4

I love the BMI chart now because mine is 22! :D I hated it when i was at 25 though. My highest ever was 25.7. The reason you doint feel like you are obese is probably because you are in america where 33% of people are obese. So when 1 in 3 people look like you, you feel like a normal weight.

Also 180 is not a healthy weight for someone 5'4. I know this because I am 5'7 and 161 pounds is considered overweight for someone of my height, so 180 is definately no healthy for you.

Anyways, dont give up trying to lose weight. You say its hard, but to lose weight all you have to do is not eat so much. Keep your calories at 1300 per day (give or take 100) and you will lose weight. If you can manage to split your meals into 6 meals per day, it speeds up your metabolism by about 10%. Right now it probably doesnt seem like you are overeating, but if you have a sedentary lifestyle and you are eatting 2200 calories per day, thats all it takes to stay at 225 pounds. So just cutting your calories to 1300 per day and you will lose almost 8 pounds per month just by eatting less. (if you exercise, you will lose even faster!) It will actually come out to about 92 pounds in 1 year you will lose if you just eat 1300 calories per day without any exercise. So start today and in 1 year you will most likely have your BMI at 22.8 and then you will LOVE the BMI chart.

Answer 5

Anyone with any common sense should DESPISE the BMI chart.

I am 5'2 and weigh 130 lbs...the BMI chart declares that I am overwieght, and I don't feel like I am. It is sad that disgustingly skinny celebrities have invaded medical perspectives.

Answer 6

The BMI chart is only supposed to be a general guide and it will misclassify some people.

If you want to know what is healthy I would try to find out your level of body fat. If you have over 30% body fat this is considered overfat and over 35% body fat is considered obese. For someone muscular or large framed, the weight where the body fat percentage becomes too high will obviously be higher than someone who is small framed or lacking muscle mass.

Answer 7

Its not the BMI chart that has the problems, its society that has the problems. We are so used to seeing obese people around us that it looks normal now, however it still isint. The BMI is right, and people should listen to it, because it can help you. It is extremly difficult on your body if you are obese or in the fat category. So I think people should pay much more attention to the BMI chart and less to society

Answer 8

Dont worry, i know watchu mean you got 2 kids, i really dont think you are overweight maby just try walking every now and then if you want. Oh no time, thats ok then, you can do squats at home, but i dont think you are obese...

Well i think the BMI chart is just mathcing your wight with the height but if you certainly know and feel you are not obese you can go to the doctor to check
But i think it is bad cause i did it to someone once and it said their weight was too low to match it....
i guess i dont like it even though i did it once...sista

Answer 9

ok i was 5/9 weighing 164 pounds when istarted school my freshman year. Then i joined sophmore football and now i currently weigh 140 lbs and im 6/6 the bmi says im under weight but i think some people r just over weight. I lift weight and diet and exercise. i also make sure my body gets the nutrients it needs.

Answer 10

I hate them too. Now I'm worried that I don't weigh enough. And like I told you before, you're perfect the way you are. VIVA LA RAZA!