Today, I heard some kid blabbering about BMI, gushing about how healthy her BMI (Body Mass Index) was.
She had a BMI of 19, and had a skinny build. For some reason, some people find it necessary to compare BMIs, so this person (she might be developing an eating disorder for all I know) asked me about my own BMI.
About my build:
Length: 153cm / 5ft
Weight: +- 53kg / 117lbs (changes throughout my cycle)
Body type: Mesomorphic/Endomorphic
 |
| BMI: Height (cm) / (Weight (kg))^2 |
When I stuff my length and weight into a BMI calculator, I get a BMI of 22.6, well into the normal ranges, although I'm starting to inch towards 'overweight'.
During certain moments in my cycle, I actually weigh 55kg, or 121 lbs, which makes for a BMI of 23.5, just 1.5 away from being overweight.
Naturally, the kid asked me what the hell I was doing and if I was on a diet. I told her I ate anything I wanted, anything my body asked for, and that I was definitely not on a diet. I might look a bit chubby, but I'm more than capable of surviving a little brawl here and there.
With a blood pressure of approx 107 over 70, a resting heart rate of 45~50 beats per minute and a body fat percentage of approximately 16%, I'm actually doing remarkably well.
Let's be honest, I have some abdominal fat on me, but I also have some muscle on me as well.
I've scared a full-grown firefighter with my muscle tone when he was giving me an arm rub. Similarly, I've impressed my family doctor with my leg muscles.
So is this "BMI" a good indicator for your health?
Mayhaps.
As you can see, even with my slightly-higher BMI, my heart's fine. Likewise for many other people with a higher BMI.
Peter Aerts, a Dutch heavyweight kickboxer, has a BMI of 29.3. Generally speaking, we'd nearly call him OBESE based on his BMI.
He might have a thin layer of fat all over his body, but he is definitely NOT obese.
And so on, there are many athletes with remarkably fit bodies who fit into the 'Overweight' or 'Obese' category. But they're definitely not obese.
The main flaw with BMI is that it only takes weight into account.
It does not make a distinction between fat, muscle, or bone matter. Sometimes, it doesn't even make a distinction between male or female. Fat weighs less than muscle, while muscle takes up less space. One pound of muscle would easily fit 4x into one pound of fat.
Someone who's feather-light (like the girl I encountered) might actually carry a lot of internal fat, while someone with a broader build might carry a lot of muscle.
Does this mean that we shouldn't worry anymore when our BMI reaches insane levels of over 30?
No, no, no. Hell, no!
I'm not saying BMI is a worthless indicator of health; instead, I'm saying it's a flawed indicator of health.
People should know when they're at risk. Athletes should learn to drop BMI, whereas couch-potatoes could definitely use it. (Oh, and walking to and from the fridge to get a beer does NOT make you an athlete)
Especially in the States, where some people have a tendency to eat a lot of fast-food and not enough greens, we should be worried whenever one's BMI reaches levels higher than 25. Especially if this goes together with high blood pressure (generally anything over 120/80).
I'm not saying that everyone in the States is obese, but I've heard plenty of horror stories.
I've heard of a woman who had trouble conceiving, and when her doctor suggested she drop a couple of pounds, she raged at the poor doctor, despite the fact that she could definitely lose some pounds of fat.
Fables
People, especially women, don't like to be told that they're a bit on the heavy side. We'll make up all sorts of excuses to make up for our high BMI.
"I'm just big-boned," is the most interesting excuse of all.
Yes, obese people do have slightly heavier bones.
Is this because they were born with them? Perhaps.
But bone structure can be changed through exercise: stressing your bones will cause them to become thicker and stronger. (Either that, or you'll train yourself into a stress fracture)
When your poor skeleton has to drag extra fat around with it, it is only natural for it to adapt to the stress. Therefor, being 'big-boned' is generally a lame excuse for being obese.
Bottom line?
BMI could be a helpful tool for determining your health, but everyone must know that it is a flawed system.
Furthermore, we should stop shoving our heads into the dirt and deal with obesity the right way.
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