BMI Calculator and BMI Poll

[haha]

BMI Calculator | BMI Calculator for Females and Males

People may not want to discuss their BMI since it can be sensitive, but we have a lot of weight and weightloss threads running, and I was wondering if an anonymous poll might prove popular?

Ha

 

[Lakedog]

Based on the calculator, they indicate a normal range for someone my height (6'2") is 144 to 194 lbs. 144 lbs equals BMI of 18.5 but I just cannot see that being healthy/normal as I would not have any muscle at all. I look quite thin now at 180 lbs with BMI of 23. I run 7 days a week and exercise/weights 3 days a week so not much flab.

 

[hakuna matata]

I thought I would throw this link I found awhile ago out there as well. I liked this link because it includes age as one of the factors, plus you can see where relative to other people your age you stand. Women, there is a link on that site to a women specific BMI calculator too.

Based on this BMI calculator I am in the top 15% for my age group! Woo-hoo! BMI of 22.9, not bad for a 51 1/2 year old.

the link: Advanced bmi calculator of Body Mass Index

 

[haha]

Based on the calculator, they indicate a normal range for someone my height (6'2") is 144 to 194 lbs. 144 lbs equals BMI of 18.5 but I just cannot see that being healthy/normal as I would not have any muscle at all. I look quite thin now at 180 lbs with BMI of 23. I run 7 days a week and exercise/weights 3 days a week so not much flab.

This is definitely a weakness of BMI. Some NFL running back may have an "obese" level of BMI, which is absurd. Likely many of the higher BMI readings that people here may have are because of muscle and bone mass, not fat, since overall there seems to be a pretty high level of fitness here. (Only moderate level in my own case)

I thought I would throw this link I found awhile ago out there as well. I liked this link because it includes age as one of the factors, plus you can see where relative to other people your age you stand. Women, there is a link on that site to a women specific BMI calculator too.

Based on this BMI calculator I am in the top 15% for my age group! Woo-hoo! BMI of 22.9, not bad for a 51 1/2 year old.

the link: Advanced bmi calculator of Body Mass Index

Please start another poll. If some use your calculator, and some the one given in the poll, the poll is useless. You may notice that the calculator given has a switch for male/female. Believe it or not, simplicity can be good!

Ha

 

[eytonxav]

This type of online calculator is totally misleading. For example, you might be a 5'10" man, weigh 190 lbs, and have BMI less than 12%. You really need to get measured in a pool or at least by someone who knows how to use calipers.

 

[hakuna matata]

Please start another poll. If some use your calculator, and some the one given in the poll, the poll is useless. You may notice that the calculator given has a switch for male/female. believe it of not, simplicity can be good!

Ha

Sorry wasn't trying to mess up your poll! But the results should be the same. Mine were anyways. I get 22.9 on either calculator

BMI is just a standard calculation so there shouldn't be any difference in the calculated number. The calculator I posted only adds age so that you can see where you are relative to others your age. Again sorry.

 

[haha]

This type of online calculator is totally misleading. For example, you might be a 5'10" man, weigh 190 lbs, and have BMI less than 12%. You really need to get measured in a pool or at least by someone who knows how to use calipers.

You are perhaps confusing body fat % with BMI? These calculators are based on a very simple formula, incidentally one used by most every life and health company in the USA.

Metric BMI FormulaBMI = ( Weight in Kilograms / ( Height in Meters x Height in Meters ) )

Sorry wasn't trying to mess up your poll! But the results should be the same. Mine were anyways. I get 22.9 on either calculator

BMI is just a standard calculation so there shouldn't be any difference in the calculated number. The calculator I posted only adds age so that you can see where you are relative to others your age. Again sorry.

No problem Hakuna! I have just seen polls collapse because people immediately start making revisions and a state of confusion ensues.

As a a group, we love complications.

Ha

 

[igsoy]

BMI is quite skewed for people above average height (male average height for US is 5'9.5") The simplistic formula can't take into account whether your weight is from excess fat or from muscle. So you end up with NFL running backs coming up obese according to the chart or wide receivers in the overweight category, these are some of the fittest people in the world, it's kind of a joke.

And I think if I saw a 6'2" man who weighed 144 lbs., I'd worry he'd be stuck being that skinny forever because he'd be too weak to raise his hand to his mouth to feed himself.

 

[hakuna matata]

No problem Hakuna! I have just seen polls collapse because people immediately start making revisions and a state of confusion ensues.

As a a group, we love complications.

Ha

Good luck. My experience with BMI threads on other boards is that your poll/thread will go sideways with a bunch of people arguing that BMI isn't accurate, etc. I personally think it is a good quick measure of an overall person's fitness at a glance. And it is accurate for 99% of the public--most of us aren't body builders, or football players, etc. But we as a group like to delude ourselves that 'we' are one of the people that BMI measures wrong. If someone needs/wants more information on their fitness then they can go the next step and get their fat %. Good luck on keeping this on task!

 

[pimpmyretirement]

From the heart's perspective, muscle is weight too. Weight increases work load and reduces longevity.

 

[eytonxav]

You are perhaps confusing body fat % with BMI? These calculators are based on a very simple formula, incidentally one used by most every life and health company in the USA.

Metric BMI FormulaBMI = ( Weight in Kilograms / ( Height in Meters x Height in Meters ) )

Ha,

My bad, you are absolutely right, I guess I'm more focused/concerned on the body fat %, which from my perspective is more important.

 

[haha]

So you end up with NFL running backs coming up obese according to the chart or wide receivers in the overweight category, these are some of the fittest people in the world, it's kind of a joke.

I have asked that our NFL running backs please identify themselves when voting, so that their sheer numbers will not swamp our little poll.

 

[Bestwifeever]

I think BMI is a good elegant tool for what it says it measures (26.6 here--DH is 23.7, curse him).

And carrying extra weight, be it in muscle or fat, still has to be hard on the body. I would imagine it's at least partly responsible for the knee problems a lot of former athletes have.

 

[kombat]

This is definitely a weakness of BMI. Some NFL running back may have an "obese" level of BMI, which is absurd.

And what percentage of the general population are NFL running backs? What percentage are just lazy Joe 6-Packs who spend too much time/money at Jack-in-the-Box?

Also, what percentage of NFL running backs ACTUALLY ARE obese? 0%? I dare say many of them are in fact actually carrying quite a bit of excess hydrated fat, their exercise regimen notwithstanding.

Just because someone wears a spandex jersey and collects an "athlete's" salary doesn't mean they can't possibly be obese. Lots of NFL-ers are in fact quite overweight, and even obese.

Find me a pro soccer player with an "obese" BMI, and maybe I'll start to believe maybe there's something to your argument.

I'll grant you that BMI may be misleading - or even useless - for professional bodybuilders.

Any professional bodybuilders here? No? OK then. I guess it's safe for us to continue using BMI.

 

[eytonxav]

This should make everyone feel better about themselves:

 

[unclemick]

I thought I would throw this link I found awhile ago out there as well. I liked this link because it includes age as one of the factors, plus you can see where relative to other people your age you stand. Women, there is a link on that site to a women specific BMI calculator too.

Based on this BMI calculator I am in the top 15% for my age group! Woo-hoo! BMI of 22.9, not bad for a 51 1/2 year old.

the link: Advanced bmi calculator of Body Mass Index

Duh? 9th percentile. 21.7. Hope the chloresterol police are happy. Down 30-35 lbs. Helped my BP also.

But I still can't stop thinking about that shrimp PO-Boy picture on another thread and thoughts of KC BBQ and my Cajun II smoker out on the patio also intrude.

heh heh heh - a little 6 mile walk in the park with my Wal Mart pedometer will clear my head.

 

[aaronc879]

I think if I saw a 6'2" man who weighed 144 lbs., I'd worry he'd be stuck being that skinny forever because he'd be too weak to raise his hand to his mouth to feed himself.

When I was in high school I was 6'6" and weighed 150lbs. with 10% body fat. Now i'm 6'6 1/2" and weigh 168lbs. My BMI is 19.2 and my body fat % is 10 which are both at a healthy level, not underweight. Although at my physical peak I was 185lbs at 4% body fat and my BMI then would've been 21.1. So even though I had less fat my BMI was higher.

 

[Khan]

I'm 5'3", small boned; went from 215# to 130#; work out your own statistics.

 

[igsoy]

When I was in high school I was 6'6" and weighed 150lbs. with 10% body fat. Now i'm 6'6 1/2" and weigh 168lbs. My BMI is 19.2 and my body fat % is 10 which are both at a healthy level, not underweight. Although at my physical peak I was 185lbs at 4% body fat and my BMI then would've been 21.1. So even though I had less fat my BMI was higher.

How was your body fat measured? Most methods will give highly variable results, the most reliable being water displacement, if I remember correctly. When you were high school age, a growing boy, it was probably impossible for you to eat enough calories to build muscle on that frame because it would have required like 6000 calories a day which is really hard to eat that volume of healthy food. You say your figures now are at a healthy level, not underweight, I'm just asking: not underweight according to who? according to the controversial BMI chart? As you state at your peak you were 185 lbs. with less body fat that probably translates to 35 lbs of extra muscle more than you carry now. Did you not like being that strong?

I'm not saying you are weak now, either, I'm just trying to understand another data point. I have a friend who is writing up an article on the BMI issue, he's trying to collect examples of different body types and corresponding fitness levels. His premise as a gym owner (functional fitness and strength) is that BMI was devised to be a quick and dirty general calculation and doesn't apply well to athletic populations such as his gym clientele whatsoever.

 

[Alan]

I thought I would throw this link I found awhile ago out there as well. I liked this link because it includes age as one of the factors, plus you can see where relative to other people your age you stand. Women, there is a link on that site to a women specific BMI calculator too.

Based on this BMI calculator I am in the top 15% for my age group! Woo-hoo! BMI of 22.9, not bad for a 51 1/2 year old.

the link: Advanced bmi calculator of Body Mass Index

Thanks for the link, very interesting. 16th percentile for my age, 23rd ppercentile if I was 20 years younger, so since I am at the same weight I was 20 years ago I feel much more accomplished

Please start another poll. If some use your calculator, and some the one given in the poll, the poll is useless. You may notice that the calculator given has a switch for male/female. Believe it or not, simplicity can be good!

Ha

It's the same calculation and result, makes no difference to the poll.

The only difference is that it shows where you rank among folks of the same gender, and in your age range.

 

[haha]

Thanks for the link, very interesting. 16th percentile for my age, 23rd ppercentile if I was 20 years younger, so since I am at the same weight I was 20 years ago I feel much more accomplished



It's the same calculation and result, makes no difference to the poll.

The only difference is that it shows where you rank among folks of the same gender, and in your age range.

I see. This does follow from the definition of BMI, but I was perhaps too on the lookout for poll contamination.

I just noticed that there are some very svelte women on this board. Almost half the women respoding are under BMI 21.
n
Ha

 

[Alan]

I see. This does follow from the definition of BMI, but I was perhaps too on the lookout for poll contamination.

I just noticed that there are some very svelte women on this board. Almost half the women respoding are under 21.

Ha

Fully understand your concern.

 

[Khan]

For a while I was 5'3" 215#
Retired: 5'3" 130#

 

[Moemg]

My BMI is 23 . So I am a good weight and if I wear heels and calculate it I am a great weight .

 

[haha]

My BMI is 23 . So I am a good weight and if I wear heels and calculate it I am a great weight .

OMG, on 4" platforms and naked you would be a skinnie-minnie!


Ha