I hate BMI. My BMI is about 25 which puts my right at the overweight threshold. However, My body fat is about 11%.
“I hate BMI. My BMI is about 25 which puts my right at the overweight threshold. However, My body fat is about 11%”
Yikes, 11%? Don’t you think you should get that down a little 
My response was somewhat tongue in cheek, but body building, specifically, is pretty much a BMI contest. Other athletes may win in other sports, but having a BMI outside the recommended range isn’t a requirement. I would be willing to bet that no body builder has ever won a Mr. Olympia title and been within the BMI range, while runners, wrestlers, trigeeks etc. can be in range and still win.
The heart condition thingy, who knows. It could be unrelated to anything other than genetics, but BMI correctly predicted it. Its also possible that he had a high BMI because of steroids so BMI and steroid use becomesa chicken and egg sort of thing.
Ultimately I completely agree that BMI isn’t be all end all. Its just that it was never menat to be. It supposed to be used as a quick, in home test, to alert someone that they should see a Dr. for more evaluation.
So far I haven’t heard anyone on this thread, or many others like it, come up with a better test that can be used for the same purpose.
Styrrell
“I hate BMI. My BMI is about 25 which puts my right at the overweight threshold. However, My body fat is about 11%”
Yikes, 11%? Don’t you think you should get that down a little
Man, I thought that was pretty good! I’m 5’6 and 152 so I could probably lose 10 pounds but I train hard but I eat what I want!!! Pizza and beer baby!!!
“body building, specifically, is pretty much a BMI contest”
I guess a little, but from what I have gathered about it, there is also something to do with evening wear as well
“Other athletes may win in other sports, but having a BMI outside the recommended range isn’t a requirement”
I understand what you’re saying, but NFL lineman MUST have enormous BMI’s to hold their ground, so there is another example of a requirement. While a “natural” body builder might be just inside of the obese range. But, this argument isn’t really the point.
“The heart condition thingy, who knows. It could be unrelated to anything other than genetics, but BMI correctly predicted it”
Hindsight is almost always 20/20. Many things in his life correctly predicted his heart condition. All while I have a client who just had a quadruple bypass last week and I’d guess his BMI was about 21. BMI missed that one…but his family history pointed right at it.
“So far I haven’t heard anyone on this thread, or many others like it, come up with a better test that can be used for the same purpose”
Family history would be a good test. Again not perfect, but a good start. It takes a lot more than BMI or family history to predict heart disease, but if either of those are red flags, I sure hope the individual is keeping an eye on them.
I’m on the same page as you, BMI isn’t an end all, be all. The point I made about the bodybuilders which seemed to strike a cord with you was that a BMI of 30 will most likely mean you are fat, but there are individuals out there with BMI’s of 30+ who aren’t and making a blanket statement about “everyone” is a bad thing to do.
“Professional football players are now more than twice as likely as Major League Baseball players to die before their 50th birthday, and medical experts say the culprit is probably differing body bulk.”
http://sports.espn.go.com/...ews/story?id=2313520
Call it bulk, call it muscle, call it whatever you want. If its affecting your lifespan, it can’t be all that great for you now can it?
Are those"experts" the same ones that tell you to drink more water if you are dehydrated ?