# What's your BMI poll **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 26, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860 "2011-10-26T15:15:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/1 "2011-10-26T15:15:24Z")
So let’s see the distribution current dopers body mass index (BMI). Here’s a handy calculator from the American Institute of Cancer Research, if you don’t already know yours: [BMI Calculator](http://www.aicr.org/reduce-your-cancer-risk/weight/tools_bmi_calculator.html?gclid=CKK0hpvQhqwCFUgDQAodcxVZaQ). If you want to calculate it by hand, the formula is BMI = [weight in pounds /(height in inches) x (height in inches)] x 703 BMI Weight Status Below 18.5 Underweight 18.5 - 24.9 Normal 25.0 - 29.9 Overweight 30.0 and Above Obese So what’s yours? Is BMI a good measure of one’s health? ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/2 "2011-10-26T15:20:16Z")
I assume the bottom one is \> 30 not \< 30 ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/3 "2011-10-26T15:25:16Z")
> [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](#): > > I assume the bottom one is \> 30 not \< 30 :smack: Yes. My bad. I’ll see if an admin can change it. ---
**Author:** ![abbeytxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@abbeytxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abbeytxs)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/4 "2011-10-26T15:26:43Z")
While I am happy to be in the “normal” range, I really don’t think BMI is the best measure. It seems to ignore too many variables. Gender, muscle mass vs body fat, body type, etc. It is an ok place to start, but I don’t think anyone should just assume that because they fall into one of the categories they are automatically healthy or not healthy. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/5 "2011-10-26T15:27:59Z")
47.5 Will I get a prize when I hit 50? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/6 "2011-10-26T15:29:05Z")
> [@abbeytxs](#): > > While I am happy to be in the “normal” range, I really don’t think BMI is the best measure. It seems to ignore too many variables. Gender, muscle mass vs body fat, body type, etc. It is an ok place to start, but I don’t think anyone should just assume that because they fall into one of the categories they are automatically healthy or not healthy. I would agree that if you are on the borders between normal and either overweight or underweight, that it’s not really that big of a deal to get worried about. But if you are in the obese category, I would have a hard time finding other variables that would justify most people being in that category from a health perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/7 "2011-10-26T15:32:06Z")
I’m solidly (no pun intended) in the middle of the overweight department. I’m 5’ 8" and about 185lbs. I think I carry it fairly well - I don’t think I look fat, but I sure don’t look skinny either. Either way, if I want to move down one level, I’ll have to get back to what I weighed when I graduated high school – I don’t see that happening anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/8 "2011-10-26T15:35:11Z")
Found this similar thread from a year ago: [http://boardstest.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=586762](http://boardstest.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=586762) Slightly less than half of the responders where in the normal BMI range. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/9 "2011-10-26T15:45:18Z")
Minor error in your BMI forumula: BMI= (weight in lbs/(height in inches \* height in inches))\*703 Those extra brackets really mess things up 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jonesj2205](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@jonesj2205](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonesj2205)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/10 "2011-10-26T15:51:47Z")
25.0 - 29.9 Overweight Roughly 14 pounds overweight. I don’t find BMI a particularly good indicator of anything to be honest, but would agree I’m a few pounds overweight. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/11 "2011-10-26T15:56:16Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > :smack: Yes. My bad. I’ll see if an admin can change it. I changed it. All is well. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/12 "2011-10-26T16:02:50Z")
How much do clothes normally weigh? Clothed w/ shoes on, I’m 25 or 26 BMI. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/13 "2011-10-26T16:05:26Z")
24.0 How the heck does one get down to 18.5? I’m 5’ 10". I would have to weigh 129 pounds. Perhaps a 6-month hunger strike would do it. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/14 "2011-10-26T16:05:27Z")
I don’t think BMI is useful as a measure of health or even of body fat percentage, for most people. I’m underweight, very fit, and in good general health. I also have a normal ‘athletic’ body fat percentage. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/15 "2011-10-26T16:50:36Z")
25.1, overweight if you go by that scale. Which is bullshit. No one who looked at me, clothed or unclothed, would ever call me overweight. I have maybe 5 lbs I could lose from my midsection to satisfy my vanity gene, but I fall into that category because I’m muscular for my build and height. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/16 "2011-10-26T17:27:14Z")
5’-7"/168 lbs. 26.3 puts me in the overweight category. However, I know my bodyfat percentage is 12% which is fairly lean. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/17 "2011-10-26T17:37:35Z")
My vote (\<18.5) got deleted and I can’t vote again. Weird! ---
**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:** [October 26, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/18 "2011-10-26T18:28:34Z")
I am 6’3, 185 pounds. BMI is 23. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/19 "2011-10-26T19:43:38Z")
23.9, but my BF is under 10%. I always wanted to get to “obese” with a BF \<7% ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2011, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860/20 "2011-10-26T19:47:20Z")
This guy has compiled a chart of pictures of people at different hights/weights so you can see what they look like: > **[Height Weight Chart - Body Size Photo Gallery](https://www.height-weight-chart.com/heightweight.html)** > > Photos of Women's and Men's Bodies at nearly every combination of Height and Weight Lots of other interesting things on that site too. It seems whenever BMI comes up, people post all kinds of things saying it’s a crock. But over/underweight is a medical term. BMI doesn’t say if your ass looks good in those jeans. It gives you an indication if the amount of body fat you have is within the ideal range. You may not like that you are above/below that range, but that doesn’t mean BMI is a crock. If your doctor tells you you have high cholesterol, do you say “What!? I’ve seen my blood and it looks fine.” If you think it’s a crock, get your body fat tested. See how your body fat percentage corresponds to where you are on the BMI scale. I’m 5’10" 174. Exactly 25.0. Right at the beginning of the overweight range. I like the way I look, but I agree I’m carrying extra fat. I can pinch the skin on my body and feel the thick layer of fat. It doesn’t look unsightly, but it is more fat than I need to be healthy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-bmi-poll/600860.md?page=2)