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The article is correct in that a very muscular and physically fit person can achieve a high BMI score, erroneously suggesting they are overweight. But on the o

by tjogin 17y ago

The article is correct in that a very muscular and physically fit person can achieve a high BMI score, erroneously suggesting they are overweight. But on the other hand, is there any risk at all that said very muscular and physically fit person is deluded into thinking he (it's almost impossible to be a female and get an "obese" BMI rating due to muscle mass) is actually obese? While BMI is a very inexact measurement, one that can be flat-out wrong in many circumstances, people who have a "handful" of grabbable tissue on their waist should not henceforth blame their high BMI score on their excessive muscle mass.

gb 17y ago
I don't think the article is directed at people worrying about their own BMI, but when it is used by say, adoption agencies or insurance companies, etc. I seem to remember a case here in the UK where a couple weren't allowed to adopt because the man had a high BMI because he was a gym enthusiast or something.
- tjogin 17y ago
  I didn't think of that, quite honestly. You're quite right. On the other hand, don't you agree that the actual problem in cases like that is rigid policy making with no regard for circumstances, rather than BMI itself?
  - scott_s 17y ago
    It's both - basing policy on a bogus metric will almost inevitably lead to problems.
    - tjogin 17y ago
      It spells disaster, for sure. But basing a rigid policy with no regard for circumstances on a decidedly non-bogus metric like body weight will lead to similar problems.
xiaoma 17y ago
Actually, the BMI suggestions are profoundly out of step with cardiovascular risk and mortality risk data. So-called "overweight" BMI ranges are associated with the lowest risks. http://scienceblogs.com/purepedantry/2006/08/bmi_is_not_a_good_predictor_of.php http://scienceblogs.com/purepedantry/2006/08/bmi_is_not_a_go... "We found 40 studies with 250,152 patients that had a mean follow-up of 3·8 years. Patients with a low body-mass index (BMI) (ie, <20) had an increased relative risk (RR) for total mortality (RR=1.37 [95% CI 1.32-1.43), and cardiovascular mortality (1.45 [1.16-1.81]), overweight (BMI 25-29.9) had the lowest risk for total mortality (0.87 [0.81-0.94]) and cardiovascular mortality (0.88 [0.75-1.02]) compared with those for people with a normal BMI. Obese patients (BMI 30-35) had no increased risk for total mortality (0.93 [0.85-1.03]) or cardiovascular mortality (0.97 [0.82-1.15]). Patients with severe obesity (>35) did not have increased total mortality (1.10 [0.87-1.41]) but they had the highest risk for cardiovascular mortality (1.88 [1.05-3.34])."

by tjogin 17y ago

gb 17y ago

I don't think the article is directed at people worrying about their own BMI, but when it is used by say, adoption agencies or insurance companies, etc. I seem to remember a case here in the UK where a couple weren't allowed to adopt because the man had a high BMI because he was a gym enthusiast or something.

tjogin 17y ago
I didn't think of that, quite honestly. You're quite right. On the other hand, don't you agree that the actual problem in cases like that is rigid policy making with no regard for circumstances, rather than BMI itself?
- scott_s 17y ago
  It's both - basing policy on a bogus metric will almost inevitably lead to problems.
  - tjogin 17y ago
    It spells disaster, for sure. But basing a rigid policy with no regard for circumstances on a decidedly non-bogus metric like body weight will lead to similar problems.

xiaoma 17y ago

Actually, the BMI suggestions are profoundly out of step with cardiovascular risk and mortality risk data. So-called "overweight" BMI ranges are associated with the lowest risks. http://scienceblogs.com/purepedantry/2006/08/bmi_is_not_a_good_predictor_of.php http://scienceblogs.com/purepedantry/2006/08/bmi_is_not_a_go... "We found 40 studies with 250,152 patients that had a mean follow-up of 3·8 years. Patients with a low body-mass index (BMI) (ie, <20) had an increased relative risk (RR) for total mortality (RR=1.37 [95% CI 1.32-1.43), and cardiovascular mortality (1.45 [1.16-1.81]), overweight (BMI 25-29.9) had the lowest risk for total mortality (0.87 [0.81-0.94]) and cardiovascular mortality (0.88 [0.75-1.02]) compared with those for people with a normal BMI. Obese patients (BMI 30-35) had no increased risk for total mortality (0.93 [0.85-1.03]) or cardiovascular mortality (0.97 [0.82-1.15]). Patients with severe obesity (>35) did not have increased total mortality (1.10 [0.87-1.41]) but they had the highest risk for cardiovascular mortality (1.88 [1.05-3.34])."