healthy weight (BMI)

[gtfpv cycler]

Just looked up my BMI ( body mass index ) online on a calculator . only to be rudely shocked .
i'm approx 167 cm tall and weigh 80kg , i was 84.5 in February .I was feeling very unfit at 85 kg , and looking a little fat . some would say i didnt look fat , but just have a stomach . any how now at 80 kg after 2 months of rigorous training and dieting , i think i look quit normal now , and am much fitter , my goal weight is 75kg , which being there before i will look quite thin .
now looking at the bmi calc . at 85 i was over 30 and in the OBESE catagory , which says to see a doctor to lose weight . now at 80 i am in the high overweight catagory .
75kg will see me 26.9 still overweight in an unhealthy category . infact to get into a healthy weight range of 20 to 25 , i need to get to between 56-68kg OOOOOO M M M M G G G G G !!!!!! AT 69 KG I WILL BE A GAUNT SCARECROW .

[sogood]

You've just shown yourself how self-image can be very subjective. This is exactly the opposite of those suffering from anorexia nervosa who sees themselves fat. Unfortunately, for 167cm at 80kg, yes you are seriously obese.

Keep riding and eat less!

[gtfpv cycler]

You've just shown yourself how self-image can be very subjective. This is exactly the opposite of those suffering from anorexia nervosa who sees themselves fat. Unfortunately, for 167cm at 80kg, yes you are seriously obese.

Keep riding and eat less!

thanks mate . i'm not going to disagree with you , and i plan to lose more now than the 75 kg . i think i'll look at 72 .
seriously obese !!!! i should take a photo of myself and post it here .

[apsilon]

Don't put too much (or any) emphasis on BMI. It was invented in the 1800s and doesn't take into account the fact that we have changed nor an individuals muscle mass and applies a one size fits all approach. While one person might be overweight at 167cm and 80kg another might simply have high muscle mass and a stocky build. You realise that accoding to the formula you need to get down to 69.5kg to just scrape into "normal" and about 61kg to be in the middle ground?

Personally I always fall into the "overweight" category. For me to get down to "normal" I'd either have to lose significant muscle mass or amputate at least one leg.

[sogood]

BMI is a valuable indicator for the health of a population. It's dangerous to generally discredit BMI to the populace and allow people to ignore their high BMI. It'll be a serious dis-service. Remember, too much fat will adversely affect longevity while less muscle won't.

[Comedian]

BMI is a valuable indicator for the health of a population. It's dangerous to generally discredit BMI to the populace and allow people to ignore their high BMI. It'll be a serious dis-service. Remember, too much fat will adversely affect longevity while less muscle won't.

+1 Absolutely! Apart from the exception for asians they are a great guide and the ranges they give are large enough to encompass all body types. So they are only disputed by people carrying too much weight.

Just looked up my BMI ( body mass index ) online on a calculator . only to be rudely shocked .
i'm approx 167 cm tall and weigh 80kg , i was 84.5 in February .I was feeling very unfit at 85 kg , and looking a little fat . some would say i didnt look fat , but just have a stomach . any how now at 80 kg after 2 months of rigorous training and dieting , i think i look quit normal now , and am much fitter , my goal weight is 75kg , which being there before i will look quite thin .
now looking at the bmi calc . at 85 i was over 30 and in the OBESE catagory , which says to see a doctor to lose weight . now at 80 i am in the high overweight catagory .
75kg will see me 26.9 still overweight in an unhealthy category . infact to get into a healthy weight range of 20 to 25 , i need to get to between 56-68kg OOOOOO M M M M G G G G G !!!!!! AT 69 KG I WILL BE A GAUNT SCARECROW .

Mate I'm 20cm taller than you, and I reckoned I looked pretty normal. People would look at me and say he could loose a few kg but I looked very normal for our population. I was thinner than many. That was at 107.5 - or a BMI of 30.7 which is just in "obese class 1". There are another 2 categories of obese, with the last one being "biggest looser" material. I woz a beginner fatty!

After one year of cycling (pretty well to the day) I am now 81kg (BMI 23.1). This is the lightest I have been in my adult life! What's more as I slowly lost weight I eventually got to the mid 90's I thought there was no way I was going to get under 90. And slowly I move downwards and ponder the 80kg mark! I'm a big build and I really can't see me ever getting below about 75kg (BMI21.4) but then that's what the BMI is - a healthy body weight range for people of all different builds.

Now I only look gaunt if you compare my fat self to my now self. I reckon if you met me for the first time you'd just say he looks fit. You loose weight from everywhere but no where. You just steadily get lighter from everywhere.

IMHO I reckon that if you get to 65 you'll be like me. You'll think I'm close but I've got a couple more KG I could loose. It's not about being a scarecrow it's about being healthy.

[gtfpv cycler]

thanks for all the replies . very encouraging . since my 50km ride yesterday , light eating just hasnt cut it . i had a normal meal for dinner as i was very hungry all day , normal breakfast light lunch , and as i ate dinner , i was full after 1/2 a plate . but still hungry . anyhow i havent broken the no eateing for 4 hours before sleeping rule . i think a big ride , and a run the day before , is losing me weight 2 days later still as my body is hungry , even after a meal . i'll get into another run or ride tomorrow.

[Toolish]

I am about 175 cm and 85 kg, which from memory is overweight, just under obese. My goal is 75 kg, when at uni I was 78 kg and had a couple left to lose.

As you lose weight you realise hoe much extra you are actually carrying I think.

I wll say for strength athletes BMI is a crock of showtime. A lot of AFL players are classed as overweight or obese because of the muscle they carry. For the average person BMI seems a pretty good guideline.

[gtfpv cycler]

well i've lost 4.5 kg to date and counting , i must admit at 85 i was fat . at 80 i'm ok but will report back at 75 , and perhaps go lower towards 70. i do feel so much better at 80 already . i had sore knees so stopped running, then got physio mri etc nothing wrong but soft cartalidge , glucosamine did not work at all , threw them in the bin and started mixed walking jogging, the docs and physio told me i'd have this from now on , but i ran through the pain , and guess what , my knees are now strong and painless , i am starting to cycle about80kms a week and can run 3km without stopping , all in 2 months , cant wait too see what 75/70 kg feels like

[sblack]

I'm 182 cm and thought I was pretty normal at 86 kg. That put me at the bordeline of the healthy/overweight. Last year I got down to my supposed ideal of 72.9 kg and have mostly stayed withing a kg of that since. It's amazing how much better I feel for it. There are people who say I look too thin now but I think it's because we are an overweight society where being a healthy weight is now abnormal and people really don't know what healthy looks like anymore.

[sogood]

There are people who say I look too thin now but I think it's because we are an overweight society where being a healthy weight is now abnormal and people really don't know what healthy looks like anymore.

Absolutely! Just look at the perception of female beauty through the ages, body habitus/perceived norm varies significantly.

[simonn]

While one person might be overweight at 167cm and 80kg another might simply have high muscle mass and a stocky build.

True, Mike Tyson at his peak had a BMI of 32, i.e. well into the obese category.

Then again, he looked like this:



I imagine that most people that moan about BMI being inaccurate do not look like Mike Tyson did at his peak. Just sayin'.

Anyway, do no worry about weight. Worry about getting fit. The fat will then come off anyway . Says the 77kg, 172cm, slightly overweight guy sitting at his desk job .

[GrumpySmurf]

Please explain?

Apart from the exception for asians they are a great guide and the ranges they give are large enough to encompass all body types. So they are only disputed by people carrying too much weight.

[fatherofmany]

well i've lost 4.5 kg to date and counting , i must admit at 85 i was fat . at 80 i'm ok but will report back at 75 , and perhaps go lower towards 70. i do feel so much better at 80 already . i had sore knees so stopped running, then got physio mri etc nothing wrong but soft cartalidge , glucosamine did not work at all , threw them in the bin and started mixed walking jogging, the docs and physio told me i'd have this from now on , but i ran through the pain , and guess what , my knees are now strong and painless , i am starting to cycle about80kms a week and can run 3km without stopping , all in 2 months , cant wait too see what 75/70 kg feels like

Great stuff mate. I know this may sound so anti-establishment but there really isn't a (Jenny, Gloria or Fitness First) formula to losing weight other than the good old calories in < calories out. You've found something that's working for you and you're enjoying it so keep it up. Also too, the quick weight loss diets are not sustainable. It went on slowly so it's probably better to take it off slowly. I had probs for years with my knees too but cycling and walking have been hugely beneficial, now I have no pain in them. Sometimes I just wonder about drs and the mainstream medical establishment.

And on BMI, well I'm 186 & 86 which means a BMI of 24.9, point one off overweight, yet I'm under 10% bodyfat. Go figure. It's an ok guide for sedentary folk but not accurate for anyone with muscle.

[sogood]

...not accurate for anyone with muscle.

I think we all have muscle.

[Comedian]

Please explain?

Apart from the exception for asians they are a great guide and the ranges they give are large enough to encompass all body types. So they are only disputed by people carrying too much weight.

There are a different BMI scales for asians. Check the international variation section.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_mass_index

And on BMI, well I'm 186 & 86 which means a BMI of 24.9, point one off overweight, yet I'm under 10% bodyfat. Go figure. It's an ok guide for sedentary folk but not accurate for anyone with muscle.

WOW. I'm 187 and 81 kg yet I'm 18& fat according to our scales. How did you arrive at 10%? I'm a pretty big framed guy...

[lethoso]

too much fat will adversely affect longevity while less muscle won't.

perhaps not http://www.bmj.com/content/339/bmj.b3292.full

Anyway, OP: I'm 167cm and 70kg, and certainly not gaunt. I am most definitely built like a cyclist though - all my weight is in my legs, and I have small, twiglike arms.

Anyway, to further emphasise my point, here's an example of what 168cm & 69 kg can look like:

[sogood]

perhaps not http://www.bmj.com/content/339/bmj.b3292.full

Note however,
1) Above the threshold there seemed to be no additional benefit of having larger thighs in either sex.
2) The adverse effects of small thighs might be related to too little muscle mass in the region.

As all, within reason.

[wombatK]

Anyway, to further emphasise my point, here's an example of what 168cm & 69 kg can look like:

To compete on any sporting world stage, you have to be a physical freak. And very few people
look anything like this fellow.

If you really want to deny what your BMI is indicating, then you can go ahead a fool yourself
into believing you are like him and that your high BMI is okay. But you won't have any medals
to show for it, and will have the health damage it is usually associated with.

The sensible thing is to realise that one swallow doesn't make a summer, nor should the
high BMI of athletic freaks make a mere mortals high BMI less worrying.

[Comedian]

Anyway, to further emphasise my point, here's an example of what 168cm & 69 kg can look like:

To compete on any sporting world stage, you have to be a physical freak. And very few people
look anything like this fellow.

If you really want to deny what your BMI is indicating, then you can go ahead a fool yourself
into believing you are like him and that your high BMI is okay. But you won't have any medals
to show for it, and will have the health damage it is usually associated with.

The sensible thing is to realise that one swallow doesn't make a summer, nor should the
high BMI of athletic freaks make a mere mortals high BMI less worrying.

Brutal but true IMHO

[sogood]

The sensible thing is to realise that one swallow doesn't make a summer, nor should the
high BMI of athletic freaks make a mere mortals high BMI less worrying.

Elite athletes are bad "ideal" image for us amateur exercisers, ones aiming for a good healthy life. For a start, we hear little of the amount of injuries they suffer to reach that point. All those accumulated injuries will in due course come back to haunt them in later life.

[Anakist]

The thing with BMI is it increases with the square of your height. But we are not 2 dimensional. Yes I am obese, both in BMI and in reality, but the further you get away from "average" height, the less realistic BMI is as a measurement or indicator. It also doesn't take into account your body composition, and the ratio of visceral fat to subdermal fat.

James

[wombatK]

Elite athletes are bad "ideal" image for us amateur exercisers, ones aiming for a good healthy life. For a start, we hear little of the amount of injuries they suffer to reach that point. All those accumulated injuries will in due course come back to haunt them in later life.

Too true. However, a couple of workmates in their 50's illustrate there are hazards on both sides of the extreme. One has
been a lifetime fitness and exercise fanatic - particularly good at endurance running - and wear on his hips got to the point that he needed a double hip replacement; to his credit, he comes with us on our weekly work bike rides (even within 6 weeks of his op). The other is seriously obese and has worn out one hip from just the wear and tear of carrying too many kg for too long. Pretty sure I know who's cardiac health is better and who'll be enjoying a longer retirement.

While our doctors advise us to do moderate exercise, the difficulty is working out where to find the right balance struck between the extremes.