# What is your BMI?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 2, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891 "2013-01-02T23:02:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/41 "2013-01-03T13:36:56Z")

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> [@DSeid](#):
>
> I think you are confusing BMI with body fat percent.

:smack:

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**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/42 "2013-01-03T13:49:33Z")

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24.2. It’s a little higher than I’d like it, I’ve been indulging a bit. I’d rather be around 21-22.

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**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/43 "2013-01-03T13:50:25Z")

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24.5. According to BMI, I’m .5 from being overweight, which is why I think BMI is bullshit. It doesn’t take into effect my body type (thin but muscular). Nobody who looked at me would ever consider me borderline overweight.

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**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/44 "2013-01-03T13:51:15Z")

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I am a 23. 6-3, 185.

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**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/45 "2013-01-03T13:52:43Z")

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> [@corkboard](#):
>
> 24.5. According to BMI, I’m .5 from being overweight, which is why I think BMI is bullshit. It doesn’t take into effect my body type (thin but muscular). Nobody who looked at me would ever consider me borderline overweight.

Oh yeah…and this ^^^^

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**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/46 "2013-01-03T14:09:36Z")

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> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#):
>
> I’m surprised that everyone is so aware of how much they weigh. It’s been at least 35 years since I’ve looked at a scale.

I had a doctor’s appointment last week, which of course involved stepping on the scale. That’s pretty much the only time I ever weigh myself. I figure that if my pants continue to fit, I don’t need to worry about my weight.

20.5 BMI for me.

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/47 "2013-01-03T15:07:48Z")

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> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#):
>
> Yesterday they said this:…
> 
> Both these articles quote the same damn report, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Pay no attention to your BMI. Pay no attention to doctors telling you how much you should weigh. Nobody really knows all that much about what’s healthy and what’s not. Jim Fixx, who started this whole fitness thing in the US, kicked the bucket at 52 from a heart attack. It’s all about the individual and their genetics. Do what makes you feel comfortable. Stop listening to doctors who barely stop to look you in the eye before they zip off to look at another patient.
> 
> - lahk = 100,000

Of course one could actually just look at what [the actual article](http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1555137) says. It is available free on-line.

Context - When looking at BMI alone previous studies have sometimes found the lowest mortality associated with the 20 to 25 range and sometimes lowest mortality a small bit higher. (24.5 is pretty dang ideal **corkboard**.) Most have found a significant increase under 20. (For example see [this graph](http://www.nejm.org/action/showImage?doi=10.1056%2FNEJMoa1000367&iid=f01) from [this article](http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1000367#t=articleTop) looking at 1.46 million White adults. Black and Asian adults may have different numbers.) This current article pools data from multiple studies of all ethnicities and analyzes according to the extremely arbitrary but standardized definitions of:

> [@](#):
>
> underweight (BMI of \<18.5), normal weight (BMI of 18.5-\<25), overweight (BMI of 25-\<30), and obesity (BMI of ≥30). Grade 1 obesity was defined as a BMI of 30 to less than 35; grade 2 obesity, a BMI of 35 to less than 40; and grade 3 obesity, a BMI of 40 or greater.

Those are the standard terms so the choice is defensible but a certain granularity is lost - the known higher risk associated with under 20 is lumped with the 20 to 25s, for example.

Their findings are straightforward. They do not report numbers for “underweight” but it is well established that such is associated with high mortality rates. Using that definition of “normal” BMI as the standard group (which again includes the increased mortality 18.5 to 20 group) they find that:

> [@](#):
>
> overweight (defined as a BMI of 25-\<30) is associated with significantly lower mortality overall relative to the normal weight category with an overall summary HR of 0.94 … Obesity was associated with significantly higher all-cause mortality relative to the normal weight BMI category with an overall summary HR of 1.18. … We did not find significant excess mortality associated with grade 1 obesity, suggesting that the main contribution to excess mortality in obesity comes from higher levels of BMI.
> 
> Our findings are consistent with observations of lower mortality among overweight and moderately obese patients.116- 119

FWIW. BMI is a tool of only so much value. It does not inform about how much of that mass is lean body mass, including muscle, where fat is stored (central obesity being of much higher risk), or fitness level (a strong independent predictor of health outcomes), or whether or not an individual is eating fruits and vegeatables. But uh, no, it is not _all_ about genetics.

**Leaffan** , not to break your bubble, but your 22.8 BMI with relatively little fitness is likely at no better long term health risk than **MLS** ’s BMI of 30 with fairly high fitness. And if you have a paunch (which some low BMI people do), and she, like many swimmers, has lats of steel, she is likely much better off.

**scootergirl** , if you do not mind my asking, why do you feel your “goal weight” should be 10 to 15 pounds less with a BMI of 21.4? Toning up? Sure, low BMI can have poor muscle mass. But that means more resistance exercise and maybe adding some weight as you add muscle, not an arbitrary lower weight on the scale.

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**Author:** ![anontanijat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@anontanijat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anontanijat)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/48 "2013-01-03T15:28:58Z")

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> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> 22.8

This is mine as well.

I’m 5’8, 150 lbs with a large frame. Though I would like to drop 5 lbs and tone up it’s not a bad weight for someone who has had three children (my youngest is 2.5) and is not especially active.

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**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/49 "2013-01-03T16:48:31Z")

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25.11

I am guy with an athletic build that can complain that BMI scale isn’t useful due to muscle weighing more than fat. I probably had a lower BMI last year, but was in worse shape then. I have a 31/32-in waist and wear medium sized shirts and can pretty easily do 20 pull ups.

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**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/50 "2013-01-03T16:51:29Z")

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I’m in the 25-26 range, but almost none of my weight is muscle (unfortunately).

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**Author:** ![heathen\_earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/13edae/32.png) [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/51 "2013-01-03T16:53:27Z")

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> [@John\_DiFool](#):
>
> I’m at 24.4 right now: 6’ 180 lbs.

Me too, but I “cheat” by having next to no muscle. I’ve gotten a little fatter than I’d like to be.

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**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/52 "2013-01-03T17:52:52Z")

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5’8’, 300 pounds. BMI is off the [del] hook[/del] chart.

It’s all muscle. Muscle, I tell ya.:dubious:

You wouldn’t call the Hulk fat, would you?

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**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/53 "2013-01-03T17:59:12Z")

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25.7 here. 6’3", 205 pounds. I am marginally overweight. I had no idea.

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**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/54 "2013-01-03T18:03:05Z")

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> [@Trom](#):
>
> I can pretty easily do 20 pull ups.

Well you are in a tiny minority. Impressive.

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/55 "2013-01-03T18:09:37Z")

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**Ambi** , with your upper body strength and low lower body mass (thus low weight overall), how many pull ups can you do? I suspect quite a few.

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**Author:** ![wipetheclock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b19c9b/32.png) [@wipetheclock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wipetheclock)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/56 "2013-01-03T18:14:33Z")

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18.65 which puts me just barely in the normal category. I’m a petite woman so that seems off; few people would look at me and think “underweight”.

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**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/57 "2013-01-03T18:28:54Z")

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24 even, which is on the higher side of normal but I also have a muscular body (one online body fat calculator, based on weight/waist/neck/height measurements, however accurate that may be, says I’m 15% body fat, so not very low but not high either, which sounds about right).

Also, I don’t know how many pull-ups I can do since I don’t do them, but I regularly do push-ups and I can do 60-70 without stopping (several sets, if not as many on succeeding sets), which is far beyond what most people my age can do according to [this](http://www.livestrong.com/article/360012-the-average-number-of-push-ups-that-a-man-can-do/) (“36 push-ups is considered excellent fitness for a 20- to 29-year-old man”, and this is lower than what the Navy, etc. requires in a minute).

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/58 "2013-01-03T18:28:55Z")

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Oh. I am 24.5. Which places me at the 25%ile for age and gender. For what that is worth.

(If anyone wants to see how they compare to the rest of the American population [this BMI calculator](http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm) does that.)

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**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/59 "2013-01-03T18:29:12Z")

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> [@DSeid](#):
>
> **Ambi** , with your upper body strength and low lower body mass (thus low weight overall), how many pull ups can you do? I suspect quite a few.

With just my bodyweight? Oh geez, probably 50. But it’s been eons since I’ve done bodyweight-only pullups. My pullups are performed with me strapped into my wheelchair, and I pull the chair up with my body. When I want to challenge myself, I’ll throw a 25lb plate into my wheelchair bagpack on the back of my chair and bust out 10-12 reps.

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**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-bmi/645891/60 "2013-01-03T18:37:49Z")

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> [@DSeid](#):
>
> Oh. I am 24.5. Which places me at the 25%ile for age and gender. For what that is worth.
> 
> (If anyone wants to see how they compare to the rest of the American population [this BMI calculator](http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm) does that.)

15th percentile for age and gender. 85% of Americans are fatter than me.

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