Interesting article on the BBC News Website re BMI

I don't see how it is particularly more accurate since it still only inputs weight and height...

I don't see how it is taking into account fat or muscle if there is no measure that can relate to these things...

For fun I put in my current weight and it was a little bit lower than the standard BMI...
I also put in the weight that I had when I was at goal and the new BMI was a little higher...
I also put in my max weight and the new BMI was a little higher...

Playing with the calculator, I am intrigued to see for someone my height (5ft3) that

a weight of 101.7lbs corresponds under old BMI to 18.02 and "underweight".
a weight of 101.7lbs corresponds under new BMI to 18.51 and "healthy".
this inequality of interpretation continues up to 104.5lbs

a weight of 137.4lbs corresponds under old BMI to 24.34 and "healthy".
a weight of 137.4lbs corresponds under new BMI to 25.01 and "overweight".
this inequality of interpretation continues up to 141.1lbs

I really cannot see what is gained from making people feel they are overweight at a weight that 138 pounds - a weight that has been long classified as healthy - or for that matter telling people that may be borderline anorexic with a weight of 101.7 pounds that they had been at a healthy weight all along when they had weighed at a level that doctors had long been saying was underweight.
 
You've pretty much hit the nail on the head Omega.

My main 'gripe' has always been concerning the split between muscle mass and fat, and the fact a simple height/weight calculation does not, and cannot take these massively important factors into consideration.

As stated, I found the article interesting as it confirms my feelings of the traditional BMI calculations capable of being wildy inaccurate (Brad Pitt OVERWEIGHT in Fight Club? Really??!!) just a shame the new approach has the same fundamental flaws.

In an age where 'Obesity epidemic' and 'Anorexia epidemic' is thrown around willy nilly, BMI calculations, new or old, could potentially do more harm than good, IMO.

Syn.
 
We all know about the failings of the old BMI.

My nephew used to play for Harlequins in the rugby super league but was classified as being "overweight" based on his BMI. I can assure you that there was nothing overweight about him...

The aerobics teacher I had when I lived down south told me that she was officially overweight too... Nonsense!

I really do not see this calculation as being any better than the old flawed one... In fact - based on the figures that I input into the calculator it is more flawed than the one that we all know doesnt work...

Frankly - in the modern day and age it is time to equip every doctors surgery with body fat meters...

The really sad thing is that there is a global obesity epidemic going on - yet you often find places (doctors, a lot of hospital departments not to mention bathrooms) with scales that do not go up to say 30 stone... LOL lots of bathroom scales cut out at something stupid like 18 stone...

The other really sad thing is that everyone knows that the old BMI is flawed, yet this is how doctors and insurance companies judge us... They will look at these flawed numbers and make decisions regarding who will get life assurance and who will get operations...
 
Omega said:
Frankly - in the modern day and age it is time to equip every doctors surgery with body fat meters...
Click to expand...

This.

I've often toyed with the idea of going to a 'Bod Pod' or similar..but unfortunately the closest one is still a couple of hours away, and in the region of £100.

The other really sad thing is that everyone knows that the old BMI is flawed, yet this is how doctors and insurance companies judge us... They will look at these flawed numbers and make decisions regarding who will get life assurance and who will get operations...
Click to expand...

This is where it gets dangerous, and not too mention unfair.

Common sense is lacking at a time where we are medically and intellectually advanced enough to know that BMI is wrong and measuring Body Fat % is simple, yet the balance between the two is wrong.

My nephew used to play for Harlequins in the rugby super league but was classified as being "overweight" based on his BMI. I can assure you that there was nothing overweight about him...
Click to expand...

How dare he have any muscle. The 'fatty'. ;)

Syn.
 
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