FabSwingers.com forum: Should BMI be scrapped

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

According to the NHS I am classed as overweight and at a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes (apparently that's also because I'm mixed race). I also need to lose 5kg. (My weight goal is to put on another another 10kg while reducing body fat percentage, but that's not important to this subject)

I don't see how the BMI can categorise weight with the information it needs. Surely before anyone can be put into weight category you need to take into account muscle mass and body fat percentage?

Do you think the NHS should scrap the BMI?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

BMI is useless, mine is morbidly obese yet I train 5 days a week and have a 32” waist.

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By *abasaurus RexMan
over a year ago

Gloucestershire

I never found it much use. Even in the most active period of my life so far, I only just squeezed into the green zone.

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By *oomsMan
over a year ago

London

It doesn’t work across the board as it doesn’t account for muscle.

Pro rugby players etc get classed as obese when they clearly aren’t.

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By * and R cple4Couple
over a year ago

swansea

My doctor told me it’s outdated and to ignore it ...So I pay no attention to bmi ..

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By *aven RedWoman
over a year ago

Liverpool

"BMI is useless, mine is morbidly obese yet I train 5 days a week and have a 32” waist. "

I'm classed as morbidly obese according to BMI too. Yes, I'm overweight but not drastically so x

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Always thought it was stupid.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It’s because doctors like sitting there and saying your fat mate even though I am

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By *inky_couple2020Couple
over a year ago

North West

BMI says I'm fairly obese also. Yes, a bit chubby but certainly not vast

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By *rAitchMan
over a year ago

Diagonally Parked in a Parallel Universe

According to BMI, I'm 3 feet undertall

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By *luebell888Woman
over a year ago

Glasgowish

Just something else to confuse folk. My weight is fine but hospital said my BMI was below what it should be. Bit crazy really.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

BMI has been widely discredited by health professionals around the world... even those on this country. This is because it only uses two parameters (height and weight) to establish its measurement. It makes no reference to muscle mass or body fat content.

However, Government and NHS management dont change it because there is no other easily applied measure of how over- or underweight someone is

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By *aven RedWoman
over a year ago

Liverpool

"According to BMI, I'm 3 feet undertall

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By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

I don't know because I don't know enough about it but I wish the health professionals would agree.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It needs scrapping

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By *hatYorkLadMan
over a year ago

York

Yep,the army told me that on paper I'm obese but as I was stood there with my shirt off clearly muscular they applied common sense for a change

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I think statistics like the BMI make so many assumptions that they invalidate themselves as useful theories.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"According to the NHS I am classed as overweight and at a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes (apparently that's also because I'm mixed race). I also need to lose 5kg. (My weight goal is to put on another another 10kg while reducing body fat percentage, but that's not important to this subject)

I don't see how the BMI can categorise weight with the information it needs. Surely before anyone can be put into weight category you need to take into account muscle mass and body fat percentage?

Do you think the NHS should scrap the BMI?"

Will it stop me being a fat bastard?

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By *ark ph0enixWoman
over a year ago

Teesside

It's total tosh. Should be scrapped

Nothing at all to do with actual real people and far to generalised. And I'm not saying that just because I'm borderline obese honest

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By *partharmonyCouple
over a year ago

Ruislip

BMI is total rubbish. It's something like weight divided by height or the other way round.

Muscle weighs more than fat and it doesn't take that into account. Somebody can have a lot of muscle mass and little fat but still be classed as obese.

Arnold Schwarzenegger for example would be deemed massively unhealthy with BMI.

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By *pursChick aka ShortieWoman
over a year ago

On a mooch

Stated in an earlier thread....

At 7st I was a bag of bones with boobs and a butt. Only to be told by doctors my BMI is classed as obese, my reaction to them .... I’ve never felt so ill so how do you expect me to get my BMI to what you class as normal, cut off my boobs ?

I find BMI so inaccurate as they take no account of how you actually look, scrap it

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Not a fan. Apparently I was most at risk with obesity when I was doing ballet every day and not eating an awful lot.!

Don’t you think your frame has to be taken into consideration too? I swear I have heavy bones

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By *emini ManMan
over a year ago

There and to the left a bit

I had a health check last year during which the nurse told me that the BMI was outdated and mostly disregarded these days as it was so flawed

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By *annGentMan
over a year ago

With a cracking view

There used to be three height/weight charts, one each for small, medium and large frame ...

According to BMI, I should be 12.5 stone ...

The fittest I've been, when I joined the Forces, was 14.5 stone ...

I'm large framed, and I fitted neatly into the old charts system ...

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By *naswingdressWoman
over a year ago

Manchester (she/her)

I thought it was one of those things that was useful on population levels but isn't helpful person to person. But because it's cheap it's used widely.

I get a bit of haranguing from doctors about my weight until I actually say things like "size 14 and muscular". Then I go from being fat and stupid to maybe worth listening to about my health

(and it comes up no matter what my health complaint is, it seems. If I weigh over 70kg - spoiler, I do - I'm less trustworthy/knowledgeable about my throat or my chronic conditions, or my mental health, or my pain)

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By *ohnjones3210Man
over a year ago

Chester

It is very useful but we must rem_mber that it serves as a guideline. It isn't to be taken as gospel.

The same as when you have a baby, your baby will be compared to the baby equivalent of BMI. It's a general purpose thing and it's good for that.

Let's say we have a guy who is 6ft but weighs 100kg, his weight will exceed the BMI healthy bracket, but this assumes that the weight of the excess tissue is from fat. In which case, BMI is correct!

It doesn't assume that the guy is body builder! It's not designed for use by athletes. It's a general benchmark for the general population.

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By *hrista BellendWoman
over a year ago

surrounded by twinkly lights

I've been morbidly obese since I was 6 ft at 13 and started gaining muscles horse riding according to my bmi

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By *mberWoman
over a year ago

Preston

Breasts.

According to the chart I'm overweight.

If I had no breasts I'd be perfect!

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By *urflrCouple
over a year ago

wirral

It’s a good indicator in those people at risk of malnutrition such as the elderly but I had my height measured this week at an appointment and have gone from 5’5” ten years ago to 5’4”! Lost an inch in height for no apparent reason other than being in my mid 40’s. Apparently it happens as you get older. So has changed my BMI, utter bollocks!

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By *ophieslutTV/TS
over a year ago

Central

It may be fine if it's coupled with a simple explannation and only used as a first screening tool, before accurate assessment tools.

Assessment is also only good if people know what to do with the information and how to become healthier, if there's an issue.

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By *zQTWoman
over a year ago

Somewhere

BMI is utter nonsense .... in a past life (not so long ago) I went down to a sis 8, flat stomach, wasn’t fat at all. BMI? Overweight....

I am now classed as extremely obese

but wth

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By *hunky GentMan
over a year ago

Maldon and Peterborough

"BMI is utter nonsense .... in a past life (not so long ago) I went down to a sis 8, flat stomach, wasn’t fat at all. BMI? Overweight....

I am now classed as extremely obese

but wth "

You've got an amazing figure. Xxx

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By *hunky GentMan
over a year ago

Maldon and Peterborough

Apparently I'm 9 stone overweight.

That's another person.

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By *inkerbell67Woman
over a year ago

Clacton on sea essex

The BMI chart was started during ww2 to keep a eye on the public, its never been updated, its still used in hospitals and doctors.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

BMI is useless.... Anthony Joshua would be obese using BMI

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Scrap bmi

My daughter was obese! No ounce of fat She had flat waist 5ft8 11 stone solid muscle thru swimming at age 12.. Now 15. Still swimming.not fat

Needs to look at waist or total body fat percentage

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Scrap bmi

My daughter was obese! No ounce of fat She had flat waist 5ft8 11 stone solid muscle thru swimming at age 12.. Now 15. Still swimming.not fat

Needs to look at waist or total body fat percentage"

BMI is the worst health measurement ever designed.

Takes zero account of mass, muscle, or body fat.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Scrap bmi

My daughter was obese! No ounce of fat She had flat waist 5ft8 11 stone solid muscle thru swimming at age 12.. Now 15. Still swimming.not fat

Needs to look at waist or total body fat percentage"

Oh... and last time I checked, BMI doesn’t measure cholesterol levels. The silent killer.

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By *ilverfox2936Man
over a year ago

Prescot

The original BMI calculation was created by a Belgian in the 1830’s, so doctors today are using something 200 years old as a diagnostic tool.

Leeches will be making a comeback to the NHS next.

However, BMI was never originally deemed appropriate for individual measurement, I was an indicator for population studies.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Sadly the NHS still use BMI as a measurement of if your weight is healthy...

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By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

"The original BMI calculation was created by a Belgian in the 1830’s, so doctors today are using something 200 years old as a diagnostic tool.

Leeches will be making a comeback to the NHS next.

However, BMI was never originally deemed appropriate for individual measurement, I was an indicator for population studies."

The NHS does use leeches as far as I know

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By *ilverfox2936Man
over a year ago

Prescot

"The original BMI calculation was created by a Belgian in the 1830’s, so doctors today are using something 200 years old as a diagnostic tool.

Leeches will be making a comeback to the NHS next.

However, BMI was never originally deemed appropriate for individual measurement, I was an indicator for population studies.

The NHS does use leeches as far as I know"

I thought that was just the chief executives sucking the life blood from it.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I am "obese" but my weight is mainly in my butt and boobs, my waist is 34" which i see no concern with.

I pay no attention, I dont have any weight related health issues and never had a complaint visually

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By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

"The original BMI calculation was created by a Belgian in the 1830’s, so doctors today are using something 200 years old as a diagnostic tool.

Leeches will be making a comeback to the NHS next.

However, BMI was never originally deemed appropriate for individual measurement, I was an indicator for population studies.

The NHS does use leeches as far as I know

I thought that was just the chief executives sucking the life blood from it."

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I am "obese" but my weight is mainly in my butt and boobs, my waist is 34" which i see no concern with.

I pay no attention, I dont have any weight related health issues and never had a complaint visually

You look more than healthy to me x

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By *ilverfox2936Man
over a year ago

Prescot

Waist to height ratio is a much better indicator than BMI.

It is simpler to use as a rough guide and a more accurate indicator of potential risk of obesity related illnesses.

Rough guide, if your waist is less than or equal to half your height, you’re a healthy weight.

Complicated version, using the same unit of measurement (cm or inches) divide your waist measurement by your height.

0.492 or less for a woman and you’re a healthy weight, 0.536 or less for men.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

My cardiologist said BMI was a load of bollox.

I asked if my weight was a factor in my condition he said no, and that as my cholestrol levels were fine he wasn't going to entertain it.

I asked about BMI and he said no, ignore that, your weight is fine.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I think it's probably in need of a rethink since it's been around so long.

I'm overweight (slightly) and I think that's accurate. But I agree it's useless for people that have lots of muscle.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

If I follow BMI, I can weigh next to nothing and be a healthy weight when in reality last time I was that weight I was seriously ill

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Waist alone is also a simple indicator. And that’s the measured value, not your jeans size!

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/lifestyle/why-is-my-waist-size-important/

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