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How fat are you really?

drizzt3117

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BMI can be a useful measure, but as others have measured, is somewhat less accurate for those who are in the gym quite a bit. My BMI is around 27, I'm 6'1 and a bit under 210. I have pretty big shoulders (21" or so) bench close to 400 and squat ~600. Although I may be able to lower my bf%, I think it would be difficult for me to lower my BMI unless I

1: Grew a few inches

2: Didn't lift for 3+ months, and dropped significant muscle mass.
 

dorian

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I still doubt that the index is accurate. My weight is only what it is from years and years of athletics and consequently a function of muscle. Yet, I am by no means a body builder (I wear a 38R/max 40R), and - in fact - people often say I am looking rather underweight right now. So, in my opinion, I find that the index seems to lack the ability to take into consideration unique body characteristics. But, hey, I'm not a medical professional... not at all. So what do I know anyway.
cool.gif
 

brescd01

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Thank you MPS. Sometimes I wonder whether I am going crazy or not.
 

LA Guy

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I'm in the gym a lot (5 days of the week, including 4 days lifting, and moderate to intense cardio each of those days besides.) I weigh 165-168 lbs (used to be in the 155-160 category unitl a few years ago) and am 5'11" but I know tons of people who are in much better shape than I am in and probably would be in the overweight category by this not particularly useful metric. I'm talking semiprofessional triatheletes, martial artists, and the like.
 

MPS

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I've seen a lot of good data to indicate that BMI correlates inversely to relative risk for a number of major diseases - the fact some instant experts know some fit people who they think might have a BMI of more than 25 does little to dissuade me of its merits. It works very well in the vast majority of cases.

For all of the "thin" doubters out there who fall within the 20-24 range - calculate the body weight required to give you a BMI of 25 (i.e. just within the normal limits): how do you think you would you feel if you weighed this much?
 

fareau

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There is a substantial body of literature which demonstrates that body mass index is a useful marker of obesity. Most of you probably realise that with obesity comes an increased incidence of certain comorbid conditions (ie high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes). The tendency for obesity and these comorbid conditions to cluster together lead to the defining of a clinical syndrome known as "the metabolic syndrome" and this syndrome carries with it a significant increase in many problems, including cardiovascular problems (eg heart attacks). It is more likely that abdominal obesity (which is correlated with visceral adipose tissue) is a better predictor of metabolic risk factors and since waist circumference is a good proxy measure of abdominal obesity, part of the definitiion of the metabolic syndrome is a waist circumference greater than 40in in men and 35in in women. Clinically, we tend to treat obesity based upon measures of body mass index (it takes very little skill to distinguish an overweight from an athletic body habitus) and we use waist cicumference to help define the presence of metabolic syndrome. So, body mass index is useful if interpreted and applied correctly, but as far as its utility in the Style forum......well, I suspect that Dr. Bresch is conducting a very surreptitious study of our habits.
biggrin.gif
 

brescd01

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This is why internal medicine (apparently Fareau's specialty) and not psychiatry or sleep medicine (my specialties), is the king of specialties.
 

LA Guy

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I've seen a lot of good data to indicate that BMI correlates inversely to relative risk for a number of major diseases - the fact some instant experts know some fit people who they think might have a BMI of more than 25 does little to dissuade me of its merits. It works very well in the vast majority of cases.

But given what we know about the habits of the modern metrosexual, do you think that the BMI a good measure wrt. the members of the styleforum?
 

kidkim2

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Hmmm. . . . What if one's "drop" is negative?  (Oh, goodness. Not me, Doctor--a friend. . . .)
 

Tokyo Slim

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According to the BMI I should be dead by now. I could probably stand to lose 5-10 pounds or so, but I think that losing the 30+ pounds I would need to have an average BMI would probably be extremely unhealthy.
 

A Harris

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Hmm, according to that page, I'd need to drop 30 lbs to be "normal". I could stand to lose 10-15, but not 30...
 

Rudder

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BMI doesn't work for certain body types (muscular guys). Percentage of body fat is a more appropriate measure. Try this on-line calculator ((you'll need a measuring tape).
 

mbc

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A BMI of over 25 is unhealthy even if you're all muscle, because it's a strain on your body to maintain all of that tissue mass, especially your heart.
 

dorian

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................................................................ interesting.
 

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