Are BMI calculations complete B.S.?

**Nemesai** · Posted On: 9/02/2008 1:46pm

Jesus, 3 miles in 18 minutes is incredible.

**Yohan** · Posted On: 9/02/2008 3:20pm

I'm fucking 5'11 and 180 - this fucking thing says I'm overweight. Who knew?

**MilkManX** · Posted On: 9/02/2008 6:26pm

Yeah dont try Wii Fit if you train seriously. It says everyone that I know is fat. LMAO.

**new2bjj** · Posted On: 9/03/2008 12:35am

Remember John Matuzak? Huge, buffed, low body fat. Lloyds of London would not insure him. He made a big stink. Guess what, he died young.

These insurance companies are basically like casinos. Whatever can give them an excuse to charge you more, they will . Basically, it's somewhat like price fixing. They all agree on the BMI and charge accordingly.

I guess what I mean to say is that they are looking for ways to charge you more, period. And if you really are healthy, that's even better for them. You don't die before the term, they get to keep your dough. Problem solved.

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 9/03/2008 2:26am

IIRC, Matuszak also did a bunch of drugs, including anabolic steroids. Those will ruin your whole day.

**Judah Maccabee** · Posted On: 9/03/2008 7:18am

TheRuss is correct. That dude took a crapload of illicit drugs and was an "NFL Bad Boy"

Lloyd's probably thought, "Dear me, this is the chap who played that ogre of a man in 'Goonies.' What was his name? 'Slowness?' 'Laziness?'"

"Sloth, sir."

"We can't possibly insure the fellow."

**Jhemsley** · Posted On: 9/03/2008 8:46am

I don't dispute the general jist of the thread - that BMI's are off for atheletes. However, I do think everyone in modern society is guilty of some form of body dysmorphia. For most of us, we look in the mirror and think we might be only 5 pounds over weight, even when we are really 10 - 15. This is based on thinking I would be ripped if I lost 40 pounds, losing 60, and realizing, man, I was really 80 pounds overweight (which would mean with a large frame I'd be at the high end of my military weight - hmmm).

Most people, even good amateur athletes, could stand to lose a few pounds of fat, which would normally get them within the proper BMI. They have just developed their aerobic and anaerobic systems to compensate for the tasks they perform.

Most people within the normal BMI couls stand to lose a few pounds an go on the lower end of the scale.

Chances are, even the atheletes out there are consuming more alcohol, ice cream, refined sugar and refined flour in the course of a year than our bodies should have.

So while BMI might indicate somethign inaccurate for an athlete - obesity for example - that doesn't mean that the average athelete couldn't stand to lose 5% of their body weight in fat alone.

Crossfit has some good videos where one of the super women trainers talks about the difference between when she was in shape, and when she was in shape and had dropped weight by being strict about Paleo-Zone.

**kanegs** · Posted On: 9/08/2008 9:48pm

Here's another online body fat calculator (you're mileage my vary, etc.) http://www.healthcentral.com/cholest...-2774-143.html

**Quija** · Posted On: 9/09/2008 7:06pm

In my gym we had a body-fat % calculator that was electronic, you entered your weight and held it in both hands, it seemed pretty accurate. My fat-ass was at 23% at 320 pounds, my skin and bones friend who weighed 115 pounds was next to nothing.

I don't know what it's called but maybe you could look into finding a place that has one if you were interested in this kind of thing.

I was also always taught that resting heart rate was a good indicator of how fit you were, the lower the better. It applies to the individual though, its not really something you can compare with others.

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 9/09/2008 10:45pm

Yeah, measuring body impedance across the hands makes more sense than through the feet like my scale does. One hand and one foot would probably be the best combination.