Bmi

[Glucoweb]

WOW! I just calculated my BMI at Calculate your BMI - Standard BMI Calculator (http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/)
Now I at my Dr.'s office last Monday he said he would like to see me lose 15 lbs. According to the NIH (National Institute of Health) I would need to lose a little over 32 lbs. to get my BMI to their recommended upper limit. I guess my questions are:
(1) How many people change their lifestyle (diet, excercise, etc...) to meet their appropriate BMI? Excercise?
(2) How many people the BMI formula might be a little out-dated?

[fgummett]

I think forward thinking doctors now include the waist to hip ratio as well as use BMI for a guideline... I'm guessing from your question that you know BMI does not allow for muscular folks.
UMMS: Waist to Hip Ratio (http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/waist_hip.asp)

[davef]

BMI is/has been used as the universal method of deciding if a person is within a healthy weight range. The healthy range is considered to be between a BMI of 20 and 25. The problem is that BMI is calculate based only on your weight and height. It does not take account of gender, age, race, build or any other contributory factors. It certainly does not take into account a muscular build, for example the captain of the Irish rugby team who is incredibly fit and talented (Irish Rugby : Brian O'Driscoll (http://www.irishrugby.ie/226_165.php)) would based on BMI, be overweight!

So is BMI perfect? no. But it's a starting point. Most weight loss organisations use it to decide if you can be accepted as a member and as a way to determine your ideal weight.

As Frank has said many doctors are now also taking into consideration waist to hip ratio.

[fgummett]

As for your weight-loss question: perhaps your doctor suggested 15 lbs as a starting point... if someone is overweight, any weight loss can be beneficial.

[davef]

Sorry, just realised I didn't answer your questions. I think your doctor is being sensible, setting an initial target of 15lbs gives you an achievable goal. Basing you goal weight on BMI can be very discouraging. I'm 5'11" so according to BMI my heaviest healhty weight would be 179lbs, I know that is completely inappropriate for me, if I can get down to 210lbs, that would be a great weight for me, but I'm taking it in 14lbs steps.

Go with the doctors suggestion and then show him you can beat it!

[vegasvic]

(2) I tend to be in denial about a great many things so my first inclination is to say the BMI is out of date. I don’t consider myself overweight at 200 lbs but lets face it, at 5’10” I probably am. Not fat but overweight. So if I drop the 10% and get to 180lbs I’ll still be over the BMI for my height. If I hit 180 lbs people who know me will wonder what’s wrong with me.

When I first was diagnosed in 2000, I got down to about 185 lbs with a lots of anger and a little depression. I look at picture of me then and I look like a scarecrow. I can’t imagine 180 lbs but that’s my goal this summer. All in all I think the BMI is a good starting point.

(1) I’m going to give the lifestyle change a try. I’ve always exercised so that won’t be anything new but the diet will be a killer. I like to eat too much. At 185lbs I didn’t need meds to maintain my bs but my diet was horrible and I wanted to eat badly. Now I’ve learned a lot more about eating and diabetes so I think I can do it and it shouldn’t be too difficult. If my sister can maintain thru diet so can I!

I always felt I had the physique of a tree trunk but I just did the waist/hip ratio and it was slightly less than 1 so I guess I do have a figure!

vic

[Scrabblechick]

IMHO, BMI is only a rough guideline. Reference what Dave said about the Irish rugby player!

However, as has also been mentioned, a 15-pound weight loss isn't unrealistic and is achievable.

I've had a fitness study done. My "dry" weight, that is, bones, skin, muscles, internal organs, hair, etc. (no fat), is about 150 pounds. I'm 5'5 and have my dad's bone structure. I am legitimately a big-boned person. I'm obese, I know it and I'm working to correct it. However, my "ideal" BMI would be about 125 pounds. That's completely unrealistic for me. As my doc said, my skeleton weighs that much! I guess I could always have my femurs removed and be in a wheelchair and weigh 125pounds, but I don't think that's a good option. LOL.

My goal weight is 180. @#$#@ on the people who say that's too big. If I'm not happy at that weight, I'll lose a little more. My goal is to be healthy, not to attempt to achieve an ideal that's physically impossible for me.

So for me, BMI is only a slightly helpful suggestion.

[rzrbks]

As long time teacher/coach,(coached my first Nat'l champion in shot and discus back in the mid-70s) BMI is only as good as you make IT

You have to take into account bone structure, musculature, activity level and what your "Normal" activities are---just to name a few of the aspects that need to be added.

Think of it as being similar to Dr starting you on insulin at 1:15 ratio---the place where everyone starts and then you have to adjust it to you and your daily needs.

Going by BMI, my "Normal" weight puts me in 25% over grouping, but Dr and CDE, and cardiologist all prefer me at normal weight and not at BMI weight.