What's your Body Mass Index ?

[hollybee]

I agree-BMI is only a small part of the puzzle.

[redberries]

My current BMI is 19.6, which is a healthy weight but I have a lot of body fat so I'm trying to get down to 18.6. My highest was 21.6 and I resembled a whale.

I really think different people carry it differently. I know people at my BMI who are far thinner looking than me.

[Yoggy]

I've lost a bit of weight, so I went from 20.8 to 19.6

[msbliss]

20.1......erm......boobies!

[twinkle]

Hmm, mine's gone up to 28 over the winter. Time to go on my patented "stuff yourself with fruit from the market" diet

I love living near Europe's largest covered market!

[harpy]

I love living near Europe's largest covered market!

Which one's that, Twinkle?

[twinkle]

Leicester

[harpy]

Oh, I didn't know about that - and it's a good one for fruit and veg, is it?

[twinkle]

well, there are a lot of stalls, so it's usually cheap. Hardly ever has organic stuff but at least it's sometimes local and in season, and has a farmers market once a month.

[cheeky_b]

25.8 is mine.

[boombanda]

17 exactly.

[Frosty]

I'm at 22.39, ideal apparently. I was 18.12 a few years back, wouldn't mind getting back down to about there. I never had any energy, but I was sexified!

[RachelJune]

I'm 19.5 now, up from 18.5 a couple of months ago I think that's in the healthy range

Now 20.4.

[harpy]

Good for you, RachelJune.

BTW some people say a healthy range is 20-25 rather than 18.5-25. Obviously it depends on your build but I don't think anyone with a BMI of 20 should be thinking in terms of losing weight.

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk...calculator.htm

[mandee]

My BMI is too high. BUT... its gone down like 5 points in a couple months

[BlackCats]

Mine is 21.5 but I have put on half stone recently from being greedy would like to get back to 20.37 like I was two weeks ago!

[emzy1985]

21.5...healthy!

[emzy1985]

Hmm, mine's gone up to 28 over the winter. Time to go on my patented "stuff yourself with fruit from the market" diet

I love living near Europe's largest covered market!

Twinkle is that in the city centre....kinda behind the shops?

[Otter_]

20.30 ... I need to eat more.

[Odinsfury]

20.2, a lot of people at work think I'm underweight. It gets pretty annoying to hear people constantly asking you where the protein in your lunch is.

[Honest_Goodbye]

20.46

[Maisiepaisie]

26.03, overweight

[kasitera]

Mine's 21.9 down from 24 a few months ago.

[frank language]

25.6, which means I'm overweight; but I've been overweight my whole life, so this is nothing new.

Actually, my BMI has been hovering at this low point for quite a while, so I think that's just great!

[Enchantress]

As of this morning, 18.84. So I'm no longer underweight. Yay!

[Gorilla]

i'm still 18.67, despite feeling like i've put on a bit of weight recently.

[VanillaBean]

I think I am about 16.6. I've been trying to put weight on (been unwell and griefy which does strange things to your body) and I think I have gotten better. I certainly have my tummy back and there is a soft layer of female-ness over the whole body so I am not too concerned anymore. I used to feel like a praying mantis which wasn't very nice. I do think it is all kinda stupid anyway because everyone is differently 'boned' and built which affects weight.

[treaclemine]

There is not an "ideal" weight range for each height. I'm surprised most mainstream health sources fail to mention this.

I think BMI is useful as a statistical research tool, not for individuals. In Plant Based Nutrition and Health, Stephen Walsh points to the science on this: early death increases outside the central 'ideal' range. It's also more dangerous, statistically, to be underweight by a certain level than overweight by the same.

BUT none of this means that BMI is set in stone as a rule for individuals. There are all kinds of reasons why people can be healthy and outside the ideal range - deviations from the average in muscle bulk and skeletal bulk being obvious examples, along with pregnancy of course!

So ... a rough guide for the wise, but for the slavish obedience of fools etc. :-)

[Melanie]

err, im about 17.5-18.0 i think

[eco]

There's a programme on Radio 4 this evening (31st July) at 9pm entitled Am I Normal?: Body Mass Index. BMI has become a proxy messure for being fit and healthy, but it doesn't always work like that: getting fit can increase a person's BMI. Vivienne Parry explores what is 'normal' in terms of fitness and how it should be measured.
It's repeated tomorrow at 4.30pm and it'll be on the listen again for a week or so I think.

[steven1222]

There are many reasons why a person can be overweight according to BMI without being 'fat.' Yes, muscle is dense, but under normal circumstances, even someone who is more muscular than average would not have a BMI over 25. "Normal circumstances" meaning:
-No dairy products. Growth hormones in dairy products promote bone growth, making people wider. A wider person would have more muscle and fat without appearing to.
-No excessive body fat during late teens or early twenties. Most people aged 16-20 have enough excess body fat to promote unnecessary widening of bones after growth in height has stopped or almost stopped.

18.5 (and certainly not more than 20) would be the ideal BMI if people were to take proper precautions. As it is, 18.5 would be too thin for many people over 20 years old because of their earlier mistakes.

I prefer not to mention my BMI because it does not matter to me. What does matter to me and anyone unlucky enough to accidentally look at me is a relationship between bone, fat, and muscle, which cannot be determined by BMI.

[Hemlock]

My BMI was 30 but I've just lost 14 pounds recently and I have another 14 to lose. I did it on raw food I feel so much better.

[bugaboo]

20.2 now... I was 24.8 about 6 months ago when I started the vegan lifestyle.

[veggiegirl52]

My BMI is 17.5 but I think I'm at the perfect weight for my body. "I'm very petite.

[Otter_]

Mine is 22 or so ... but I could actually use a few extra pounds.

I'm 6'5" and 180lbs.

[absentmindedfan]

25.26. Apparently I should lose some weight as I am in the 'overweight' range. I guess I'm an example of someone who skews BMI - I run over 20 miles a week, do Yoga and weights and eat a high GI low(ish) fat vegan diet with plenty of fruit and veg.
I'd better get me down the doctor, I might be at increased risk of heart attack, stroke and cancer

[BlackCats]

AMF - I think that you are right and that Body Mass Index definitely cannot be used for everyone.
My brother said he worked his out and he is in nearly obese range and there is no way he is! He got a bit paranoid about it.

[bryony]

16.7 now meh.

[bugaboo]

25.26. Apparently I should lose some weight as I am in the 'overweight' range. I guess I'm an example of someone who skews BMI - I run over 20 miles a week, do Yoga and weights and eat a high GI low(ish) fat vegan diet with plenty of fruit and veg.
I'd better get me down the doctor, I might be at increased risk of heart attack, stroke and cancer

You shouldn't lose weight. You seem really healthy from your exercise habits. The BMI range only applies to weight/height ratio. Muscle weighs more than fat so you are probably just more muscular than overweight. Bodybuilders sometimes get an obese BMI although they are far from it.

[Maisiepaisie]

I agree. AMF you have an amazing figure from what I can see in your avatar (and I'd kill to have your breasts btw). You are all toned. I've decided to forget the scales and concentrate on getting toned. If someone looks good it doesn't matter what they weigh. Look at Lucy Lawless aka Xena Warrior Princess. I bet she has a high BMI. Her body is gorgeous yet she's not superskinny. She's all muscle.

[absentmindedfan]

I agree. AMF you have an amazing figure from what I can see in your avatar (and I'd kill to have your breasts btw). You are all toned. I've decided to forget the scales and concentrate on getting toned. If someone looks good it doesn't matter what they weigh.

Bingo. I stopped weighing myself ages ago, and lost alot (not all) of my body issues and controlling eating habits in the process.

[xrodolfox]

25.0 < x < 26.5

I'm "overweight". hehe.

Lately, I figured that BMI stands for "body image mess-up", as something like waist diameter is much more useful for figuring out health.

I have a 31" to 32" waist, and I'm pretty toned. I'm no Mr. Universe, but I'm built like a swimmer or h2o polo player (both of which is what I am).


That's me >

[herbwormwood]

You look quite muscular which will make your BMI higher. BMI is only a rough guide. It should be used in conjunction with common sense!

[beanstew]

Don't know, don't care.

I haven't been weighed since I last saw a doctor which must have been 15 years or so ago.

[Hemlock]

You must stop posing about in speedos foxy - my eyes are falling out of my head

[crimson~noir]

Healthy BMI.
I do agree however that BMI's are not as useful as they apear to be its all relative to the person. My BMI is 25 but I still need to drop some weight.

[Fuhzy]

Where is the BF% thread? Prolly cause it's too expensive to test for most people...

Anyway I'm a 29, I'm a little chubby but I am a very thick dude, so the 'ideal' BMI weight of 185lbs is way too thin for me...

[LuVegan15]

I have a BMI of 16.. which means i'm 'underweight'

[prawnsize]

Mine's 16

[trudatman]

19.11