BMI is for chumps

I've been saying this for quite a while.  My own personal BMI has been just under 30 for over a year.  I had one doc telling me I "need to loose another 50 lbs.  I just laughed a little and explained that I had been doing all I could to keep weight on.  For those who don't know me, I had a Roux En Y gastric bypass surgery on 3-24-10.  I didn't do it for weight loss, as is the typical reason.  As a matter of fact, I expressed deep concern about loosing too much weight.  I had intolerable GERD (acid reflux).  Medicine didn't work anymore.  I had developed Barrett's Esophagus (which is considered pre-cancerous).  I didn't want to mess with that. After some back and forth with my insurance carrier, we were able to get the procedure pre-approved.  I started out weighing just under 320 (it took some work to get there).  Three months after surgery, I was hovering between 247-255.  That's where I've been since. 

Today, I had a pretty cool test done with the "BODPOD".  It measures body composition using air pressure.  It also gives a (supposedly) accurate bodyfat percentage along with a resting metabolic rate.  I was shocked to see the results.  I would have guessed the bodyfat to be 17-20%.  The RMR was right where I figured it would be.

The only problem is that the RMR says you're nearly dead.

Wayne Hill wrote: The only problem is that the RMR says you're nearly dead.

notice the caloric intake necessary to keep from losing weight, if I'm active.  I need to get almost 4700 per day.  That's hard to do with a twinkie sized gullet.  Thank goodness for beer (keeps me in a nice state of homeostasis).

Also Craig, if you just go in for a procedure along with a week long hospital stay (due to your body's desire to bleed out....transfusions are a good thing), that runs up a bill of 30G or so, maybe they'll comp you a test.

C. Smith wrote: Also, since you're 11%, I think a picture with ab pose is required.  I'm pretty sure that's mandatory on the internet.

+1, hold the speedo, make sure you have a gangsta face

43 y/o, 247-255lbs @ 11% bodyfat.. That's huge

 

Lovin' the mullet

BINGO

Mikey B at his best.....
Notice he covered the Texas drawl very well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YabQCwpQIxA

Doug I am afraid of your body fat being way too low.  I think you need to step that up some.  

C. Smith wrote: kgb1 wrote: Had my own BMI experience last week.  Went in for a physical for the first time since either the Reagan or first Bush administration.  Blood pressure, EKG, blood work and urinanlysis all came back normal.  Doctor told me that at 6'1" and 250 lbs I was obese.  Told me that I needed to weigh no more than 195 lbs.  Don't see that happening until at least 3 months after I die. I would 100% get a new doctor.  I'm not even joking.  If my doctor was that stupid, he would no longer be my doctor.

1. BMI is only a glorified height/weight relationship that does not differ by age (if over 18), gender, or fitness level.  It's true purpose is to give researchers a common definition for underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.  It does not distinguish weight from muscle and from fat; so many athletes in sports where a higher weight is not detriment to performance or organized by weight classes (wrestling, powerlifting, Olympic lifting, boxing) will find they fall into the "overweight" or even "obese" category.  BIG FAT (no pun intended) HAIRY DEAL!

2.  Science has not established what is a "healthy" percentage of body fat.

3.  Fit people have less death and disease, REGARDLESS of their BMI category.  Fit "obese" people are better off than unfit lean people. 

4.  Physical inactivity/insufficient physical activity kills more people than smoking, diabetes, and obesity COMBINED (I can provide the research link if someone really wants it)!

5.  As long as your other health indicators are fine or controlled, BMI alone is not a health issue IF you are fit.  Unfortunate that your physician is parroting the easy "one-size-fits all" advice on BMI rather than providing individualized assessment including asking/advising about your exercise habits.

6.  One last thing, too much sitting is NOT the same thing as too little exercise.  A 1-2 hour workout in waking hours does NOT automatically protect you from the detrimental health effects of sitting for most of the other 14-15 waking hours.  Be as active and move around as much as possible, even if it's not "exercise".

Teresa Merrick, Ph.D./Bellevue, NE

HEY!
Painted on abs are coool.

"We are the warrior clan of Modella"
I still know all my lines - my kids think it's hilarious.

I have been turned down 4 times this year for health coverage - wound up w AFLAC.
Flat turn down based on BMI - no discussion or even a interview.

Great job Doug

Steiger wrote: OK.....How bout this: I was basically floored when my "BODPOD" results showed my bodyfat to be so low (11.4%).  I did a little research.  Most say that it is very accurate.  Some say it reads on the low side.  This would be my stance.  But I had a complimentary health screening done at work today by out health insurance carrier.  They used a handheld bioimpedence device.  I fully expected the numbers to be higher than the BODPOD.  They came in at 26.7% (bmi of 34).  Does anyone have any explanation for the discrepancy?  Any particular knowledge on both methods? My own guess before either test was somewhere around 17%. NO AB POSE SHOTS TIL I GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS!!!!!

BODPOD is an displacement method like hydrostatic weighing, just displacement of air vs water.  Bioelectric impedence is checking conductivity of a low-level current from point A to B on your body and can be influenced by your hydration level among other things. 

All methods with you alive are still only estimates: autopsy is the only way to know for sure (as they carve the fat from your cadaver).  

Many years ago, and certainly before BODPODs became more common, I went to the Wellness Center on the base for a BF assessment and they did 4 different methods on me (no hydrostatic weighing)--calipers, AF tape measure test, and a couple others.  Results ranged from 25% to 35%.

Unless you want to p*ss away money to get something done at a university body composition lab (where the results will still be estimates), just concentrate on how you feel and how you look in mirror naked (that will impress the women-folk more than your %BF number).

Teresa Merrick, Ph.D./Bellevue, NE

berby wrote: yesterday geting my DOT physical the DR tryd to tell me me BMI was way to high at 30.5 lol at 5ft9 205 my pulse was 44.

Technically, your BMI is "obese" because it is only a relationship of weight to height--regardless of your age, gender, or physical condition.  You can plug your height and weight into any number of online BMI calculators and get the same result.   Physician is giving you the knee-jerk evaluation.

Teresa Merrick, Ph.D./Bellevue, NE

Ok I am 5'9" and 220 in a not so good way. According to my Internest and Orthopod they say with the mass I have now (not even working out) I couldn't get under 195 again nor should I. 205 would be a good weight for me they say.

Well according to BMI I am overweight to obese. According to the medical field at 5'9" I should be between...now get this... 129-169lbs. Yeah right!  The Metropolitan Life tables say 153-169.

It is well past time for the medical field and insurance people to wake the hell up and change the tables. That is unless they know the real numbers and want to keep these un realistic ones to keep from insuring people or charge them high risk premiums.