But insurance companies, the medical cartel, and the government are using the BMI to make decisions about you that could affect your personal freedoms, intrinsic health, and wallet. You might know you’re healthy, but the beancounters are “waging war on obesity” because of blind statistics and your obese classification.
You do realize that what is true for you isn’t true for all people? I’m pretty sure I’d be downright chubby if I ever got up to BMI 23 or 24, but I know plenty of people in that weight range who are svelte.
When larger people say that, I don’t think they honestly believe that they would be emaciated at BMI 24 - but - if you have a larger skeleton and/or plenty of muscle, to be in the ‘Ideal’ range you would have bones sticking out, or have extremely low body fat. I grew up in South Dakota, Land of the Vikings, I’ve seen it in action. My friend growing up was much too thin at 5’8" and about 160 lbs, her ribs and hipbones protruded, and her face looked drawn.
Moderator note:
cuauhtemoc, you’ve been here way over long enough to know that personal attacks on other posters are not allowed in this forum. Do NOT do this again.
21.0 for me, but if anything I look a little underweight.
I have a gym membership but I don’t use it enough. I don’t really care about being strong because my job and hobbies ALL revolve around using the computer (call center and world of warcraft, respectively). And I’ve stopped allowing myself to care about losing weight or fat because no matter how hard I work or how much I lose, the world will see me as a big fatass regardless. What’s the difference between being a 225 pound fatass and a 300 pound fatass? Especially because when I don’t worry about getting down to 225, I am happy, I am getting achievement points, I am not constantly hungry and not worried about working out consistently.
meh
That’s a healthy attitude, rach. Keep it up!
This is true, and this bothers me a lot. Particularly when it comes to health care, where more accurate tools are available. I understand that medical insurance and other industries need to know how healthy or unhealthy people are, when why result to BMI when a doctor has the appropriate tools and expertise to measure body fat percentage, various heart rate measurements (eg,rest, exercion, recovery, etc.), and other factors that can be evaluated in a physical.
Why I was trying to indicate was that the average layman probably doesn’t have the knowledge or tools to easily measure or make sense of numbers like the ones I mentioned above, but any person with a scale and a measuring tape can figure out their BMI and follow a guideline which, with some consideration, is somewhat useful for them. However, for an industry that has an enormous amount of knowledge, technology, and expertise at their disposal to boil down the health of someone to such a number is terrible.
24.4 (5’ 10", 170lbs, 40yo male) which is right near the top end of “ideal”. On a day to day basis my weight fluctuates a little bit but if I was 175lbs I’d be “overweight”.
For what it’s worth, I work out an honest 60-90 minutes per day, six days a week. I eat healthy, go for a brisk one hour walk each day at lunch and get in a bike ride or run after work most days, plus I’m a long distance runner (started doing ultramarathons).
While I’m sure that I could drop a few more pounds I don’t know that it would be healthy and sustainable for me to get to the middle of the “ideal” range, a BMI of about 21.7 which for my height would mean a weight of 150lbs.
Here’s a 5’ 11" athlete weighing in at 155lbs. While I think that I am in good shape I don’t think I’ll look like a UFC lightweight fighter any time soon.
I’m 5-9 and 225. BMI around 32. Doesn’t work too well for me. I lift 4-5 days a week and have a decent percentage of muscle. Yes at 43 I have put on a protective layer of flab over the muscle and should probably be around 205-210. But I still pass the Army tape and PT test.
75 pounds. If you think freighting around 75 pounds of excess ballast is trivial, excuse me if I blink in mild startlement.
If it wasn’t clear, I was referring to the opinions of others in regards to me. To the majority of the US male population–and in the eyes of the media–a short woman over 200 pounds is unforgivably (and undateably) lardy no matter whether she’s 201 or 450. Why should I bother trying to fit into the forgivable dateable mold, if I can’t meet those expectations no matter how hard I work anyway? Especially when the work is something I find unpleasant and all-consuming and would rather be doing anything but.
I see it as analogous to spending a lot of money on dental repair to your natural teeth after your dentist has told you that no matter how much money you spend, your teeth are permanently damaged, yellowed, pitted, and disgusting, and will never look acceptable to people no matter how much money you pour into them.
But there are no dentures for weight loss.
Wow. Real healthy attitude, basing your (quite serious) health decisions on what other people think you look like. Keep it up, rach!
It doesn’t hold a candle to your bitterly saccharine condescension, chica.
P.S. I’m avoiding playing the martyr because I know that’s what you want. You’ve tried baiting me twice now. I’m not biting. So take your games to someone who will.
A short 200 pound woman is seriously obese and putting herself a significant risk of causing health problems for herself. But men also don’t find it attractive so you won’t try to lose the weight? Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
No one is trying to bait anyone into anything. I’m just pointing out how utterly ridiculous your approach is. Whatever, it’s your life. Have fun.
27, but it’s all muscle, mostly of the “love” variety.
Bull. You attacked her. She attacked back. You got offended, and attacked her again.
She voiced her opinion that it wasn’t worth the effort to lose weight. Rather than argue against that opinion, you chose to mock it. By mocking an opinion, you also mock the person who made it. Something you are well aware of, or you would not have included her name in the post.
And, honestly, from a statistical standpoint, she isn’t wrong. Less than 10% actually lose that much weight and keep it off. And, anyways, the medical benefit drops off sharply–with many places quoting 5% weight loss as the point of diminishing returns.
Anyways, as I’ve pointed out to that lady who likes to troll celebrities: studies show that slightly overweight people live longer. If people were doing it for their health, why do so many skinny people think they need to lose 10 pounds, when they’d be healthier gaining it?
BigT, shut your pie hole already. Why would I be offended that she has a BMI of 50? Why would that possibly offend me? Think about what you’re saying for 35 seconds. Of course I am mocking her opinion. I intended that to be clear when I, oh, mocked her opinion. I think it’s laughably stupid to say, “Well boys don’t think I’m attractive anyway, so I might as well beef up to a ridiculous BMI of goddamn 50.” That’s fucking nuts.
I can see what she means. For most people weight loss is not just about their health, it’s about attractiveness to potential partners; other factors come in to play, but those are the biggest ones, no pun intended. This is true even if you’re not actively looking for a partner.
I’m not saying ‘if I spend a year or two eating less and exercising more, I’ll still probably be too fat for most potential partners to consider’ is the ideal way of thinking, but it’s certainly an understandable demotivator.
Well yes and no. I’d be a lying liar if I were to pretend that some of the reason I hit the treadmill isn’t that I want to look good naked, but to go, “Boys don’t think I’m cute. Time to get ridiculously fat!” is plain crazy. But enough about what I think. Countdown to people getting all in my shit for not being sympathetic to such an absurd line of reasoning.