Are you overweight by the BMI tables? (2 Viewers)

[Dr. No]

Are you overweight on the BMI tables?

Body Mass Index (BMI) In Adults

The benefits of maintaining a healthy weight go far beyond improved energy and smaller clothing.

www.heart.org

I'm getting close to BMI healthy but it's absurd the amount of work it takes to stay at weight these days. It's like if you aren't at the gym daily and eat a really low calorie amount that's super unfulfilling you're screwed.

And don't get me started on how much work it is to do all the stretches/exercises just to stay out of back/knee pain. Recently went through that 6 month process of the knees over toes and back pain regimen and it all totally worked and I feel better than ever but maintaining it just to stay mobile and healthy.. why does it have to be this hard.

Bodies shouldn't be this hard to maintain. It's stupid.

 

[Keerock]

I'm just short for my weight. Back off...

ETA: https://youtu.be/rMitjMTi__4?t=155

 

[the moops]

Excited for the first obese dude to come in here and point out how many professional athletes are overweight according to BMI tables

 

[PIK95]

Isn't everyone?

 

[urbanhack]

Yes...it's ridiculous. I'm 6' - 200 lbs and in pretty damn good shape. I've got thicker legs and a long torso. I'm not overweight.

edit to add: I just did my calculations. My ideal weight would probably be 190 if shredded 10 pounds....even then it says I'm still overweight. It's bunk.

 

[PIK95]

6-2 275, oof. It says I need to get to 190 to be normal. I was 220 when I was in the best shape of my life in high school. Not sure how that's gonna go. I am pushing hard on Keto again. 240 is my summer goal fwiw.

 

[Ron Swanson]

All I have to do is grow a foot and I'm golden.

 

[B Maverick]

I am 5'11.5" / 219

If I put in 5'11 / 219 I am 30.5 BMI = Obese
If I put in 6'0 / 219 I am 29.7 = Overweight

At 5'11 I need to get down to 175lbs.
for comparison, at 6' I need to be 183lbs to be in the normal weight.
I haven't been that light since high school and I was a college athlete.

 

[Dr. No]

I acknowledge that the BMI is probably about right for me. If I was at the HIGHEST possible number to be considered a healthy weight I would honestly look my best. You look at all the ancient videos on youtube and almost everyone in the 1920s-70s looks to be close to normal weight.

But NOW... I'll be surprised if half the people aren't above ideal.

 

[Jaysus]

I am content being "overweight" and not "obese"

 

[culdeus]

Be careful throwing BMI out. There is very little evidence that carrying extra muscle is a free pass on the BMI scale. If above 15% BF and out on the BMI, there's plenty of all cause mortality metrics to suggest you are lowering your lifespan. You can say that you are in great shape all you want, but more mass is more stress on your organs.

For women BMI is a much stronger indicator since women can't really carry much extra muscle no matter how fit they are.

 

[MTskibum]

6'1" - 172 this morning. I have a slight belly and could probably lose 5-10 more pounds.

 

[Grace Under Pressure]

It works ok for certain body types. I think it fits mine ok. I'm at 24.1 BMI, almost overweight. And I am almost overweight.

Also I'm basically in not great shape, which is another criticism of the metric. People listed as "overweight" are certainly in way better shape then I am, without a doubt. I'm in "ok" shape at best.

 

[zoobird]

Fairly sure I'd be dead from malnutrition if I was at the low end of the supposed 'ideal' range for my height.

 

[culdeus]

Be careful throwing BMI out. There is very little evidence that carrying extra muscle is a free pass on the BMI scale. If above 15% BF and out on the BMI, there's plenty of all cause mortality metrics to suggest you are lowering your lifespan. You can say that you are in great shape all you want, but more mass is more stress on your organs.

For women BMI is a much stronger indicator since women can't really carry much extra muscle no matter how fit they are.

Sources and severity of bias in estimates of the BMI–mortality association

Estimates of mortality differences by body mass index (BMI) are likely biased by: (1) confounding bias from heterogeneity in body shape; (2) positive survival bias in high-BMI samples due to recent...

www.tandfonline.com

Solid commentary on the bias and problems in measuring mortality risk with BMI, and a lot of the reports of a "U Curve" in BMI are flawed.

 

[Osaurus]

Isn't everyone?

 

[hagmania]

Not overweight, it's on my goals though.



(Obese and losing by the day!)

 

[Wildcat]

6'1" - 172 this morning. I have a slight belly and could probably lose 5-10 more pounds.

I'm 6'1" and 210. No belly. I distribute my weight evenly, I guess. I don't look overweight, but I know I am. 190 is perfect for me, but I will never hit that again. I love beer and food too much.

 

[Jayrod]

I'm 6'2" and in order to get to "healthy" I'm supposed to be 193. I typically fluctuate from 210-220 throughout the year. All of which falls under the "overweight" category.

I officiate college football and stay in really good shape for that. I eat fairly healthy and work out 3+ times a week year round including regular weight lifting. For me to drop another 20 pounds would mean actually losing some muscle. I got super trim about 8 months ago and got down to 205 for the first time since I was in my early 20's (45 now). Dropping another 12 lbs from that would honestly be unhealthy. The last time I weighed 200 was at the end of my last season of college basketball and I had an absolutely minimal amount of body fat. My wife saw some photos from that time and thought I looked sickly.

 

[Tecumseh]

6’0, 220- a shade under obese. I could lose 20lbs and look fantastic, but I’d need 35 to get to normal and would look ill.

 

[nirad3]

I'm "obese" but truth is I "carry it well". I'm currently on a diet/exercise regimen and it's my hope that I'm down from 255 to 215 by my 50th birthday at the end of July. It's a lofty goal but I'm working hard at it.

 

[moleculo]

I'm "overweight" per that chart. Last time I was "minimal risk" was when I was cutting weight for a jiu-jitsu tournament.

 

[TripItUp]

6 '1" 194

I'm supposed to be in the 180s per BMI but I know I'm in better shape than most. I have broad shoulders and somewhat of a muscular build which are factors the BMI table doesn't account for.

 

[Beef Ravioli Part 2]

6'1" - 172 this morning. I have a slight belly and could probably lose 5-10 more pounds.

Interesting, I’m 6’1” and 210lbs. Not much of a belly but a chubby face. Most people look at me and think I’m 190lbs.

I felt and looked my best at 180lbs, no belly at all. Want to get back there but I like to eat too much.

Interesting how we carry our weight.

 

[Beef Ravioli Part 2]

6'1" - 172 this morning. I have a slight belly and could probably lose 5-10 more pounds.

I'm 6'1" and 210. No belly. I distribute my weight evenly, I guess. I don't look overweight, but I know I am. 190 is perfect for me, but I will never hit that again. I love beer and food too much.

I responded to the same comment as you did without reading the entire thread. I posted nearly the same thing as you - ha!

 

[nirad3]

6'1" - 172 this morning. I have a slight belly and could probably lose 5-10 more pounds.

Interesting, I’m 6’1” and 210lbs. Not much of a belly but a chubby face. Most people look at me and think I’m 190lbs.

I felt and looked my best at 180lbs, no belly at all. Want to get back there but I like to eat too much.

Interesting how we carry our weight.

Yeah I'm 6' on the nose and most folks guess 220-230 for my weight.

 

[beer 30]

I haven't checked lately but I'm guessing still obese.

 

[Da Guru]

6 '1" 194

I'm supposed to be in the 180s per BMI but I know I'm in better shape than most. I have broad shoulders and somewhat of a muscular build which are factors the BMI table doesn't account for.

I am 6-1, 210 lbs. Workout 5 days a week and have since I was 20. Wear 32-34 pants, but looks like I am obese.

 

[Zow]

Excited for the first obese dude to come in here and point out how many professional athletes are overweight according to BMI tables

Hey, you! Not cool.


But seriously like Duce Staley is obese via the BMI scale...

 

[Dr. No]

I'm "obese" but truth is I "carry it well". I'm currently on a diet/exercise regimen and it's my hope that I'm down from 255 to 215 by my 50th birthday at the end of July. It's a lofty goal but I'm working hard at it.

I'm sure you do. Most people don't think i'm overweight anymore either.. but to make the MINIMUM healthy BMI i need to dump 15 more lbs.. and i'm short.

I wonder if the overall obesity of our society has suddenly normalized overweight as the new healthy and you have to be "obese" for people to think you're overweight now.

Regardless of how people think I look, I know I would look better and be healthier at that BMI weight... but I'm honestly not sure if I can make it there without being a really antisocial person who doesn't drink beer ever, doesn't go out to eat, and is constantly obsessing over a calorie counter app.. But people didn't used to have to do that to be at weight.

 

[Zow]

I am 5'11.5" / 219

If I put in 5'11 / 219 I am 30.5 BMI = Obese
If I put in 6'0 / 219 I am 29.7 = Overweight

At 5'11 I need to get down to 175lbs.
for comparison, at 6' I need to be 183lbs to be in the normal weight.
I haven't been that light since high school and I was a college athlete.

I'm close to this, but I'm around 230 so I'm clearly obese per BMI.

Similarly, when I was 26 or so I was in the best shape of my life and was like 172 lbs. Crossfit nearly daily, low carb diet, and played every sport under the sun. Yet, this made me barely "normal."

I get the point though about stressing organs and it not mattering how the weight is carried. It's just frustrating because I genuinely have no idea how I'll ever get back down to 175 or lower again.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I wonder if the overall obesity of our society has suddenly normalized overweight as the new healthy and you have to be "obese" for people to think you're overweight now.

Correct.

 

[Mitchie]

6'1" - 172 this morning. I have a slight belly and could probably lose 5-10 more pounds.

i dunno you might wanna start thinking about putting on some muscle...

 

[Schmeabs]

I am 6'8" and according to BMI it says I am obese and need to lose 45 pounds to get to normal weight. Last time I weighed 228 pounds I super skinny with 7% body fat. That is not normal. BMI charts are full of ****.

 

[The Z Machine]

Fairly sure I'd be dead from malnutrition if I was at the low end of the supposed 'ideal' range for my height.

Probably not, but you'd likely be really hungry all the time.

That's the challenge. To be well within the healthy BMI range you have to be willing to be hungry a lot. Not many people sign up for that.

But being hungry much of the time would probably add 5 years to your life and decrease the likelihood of needing a knee replacement later in life.

 

[Dr. No]

Fairly sure I'd be dead from malnutrition if I was at the low end of the supposed 'ideal' range for my height.

Probably not, but you'd likely be really hungry all the time.

That's the challenge. To be well within the healthy BMI range you have to be willing to be hungry a lot. Not many people sign up for that.

But being hungry much of the time would probably add 5 years to your life and decrease the likelihood of needing a knee replacement later in life.

So was everyone hungry in the 50s to 70s when almost everyone WAS within BMI? I agree that to make even MINIMUM BMI let alone give myself 10-15 lbs of wiggle room it would be almost constant hunger and no treats ever.

 

[Redwes25]

5’11 and 195 so fall in overweight category. I could definitely lose 10 lbs and lose most of my beer gut which is where most of my extra weight is. I don’t think I could ever get out of the BMI overweight category.

I am also in pretty good shape. Ride about 35 miles a week between a real bike and my peloton and try to fit a short run in there as well - like 2 to 3 miles a week. To get much lighter I would really need to cut back calories/alcohol and that is not something I have ever been able to do. Every once in a while I will get up to 210 lbs but usually push myself back down to around 195 but getting much lighter is not something I have managed to do and to take me out of the BMI overweight category seems impossible.

 

[MTskibum]

6'1" - 172 this morning. I have a slight belly and could probably lose 5-10 more pounds.

i dunno you might wanna start thinking about putting on some muscle...

I have been lazy running, but i don't look skinny.

 

[IvanKaramazov]

I wonder if the overall obesity of our society has suddenly normalized overweight as the new healthy and you have to be "obese" for people to think you're overweight now.

It's this, unfortunately. Look at photos of middle-aged men from the 1970s (say), and look around middle-aged men today. It's like looking at two different species.

 

[General Malaise]

Once the price for Ozempic (Semaglutide) and all the T2 Diabetes drugs being taken for weight loss by rich people becomes affordable and insurance covers it, our obesity problems will be a thing of the past. In 10 years, taking Semaglutide et al will be as common as taking statins for high cholesterol. We'll be fine, guys. Right?

 

[ILUVBEER99]

I am 5'11.5" / 219

If I put in 5'11 / 219 I am 30.5 BMI = Obese
If I put in 6'0 / 219 I am 29.7 = Overweight

At 5'11 I need to get down to 175lbs.
for comparison, at 6' I need to be 183lbs to be in the normal weight.
I haven't been that light since high school and I was a college athlete.

It's just frustrating because I genuinely have no idea how I'll ever get back down to 175 or lower again.

eat fewer calories

 

[BlackCrowes]

I’m just big-boned

 

[Don Quixote]

Fairly sure I'd be dead from malnutrition if I was at the low end of the supposed 'ideal' range for my height.

Probably not, but you'd likely be really hungry all the time.

That's the challenge. To be well within the healthy BMI range you have to be willing to be hungry a lot. Not many people sign up for that.

But being hungry much of the time would probably add 5 years to your life and decrease the likelihood of needing a knee replacement later in life.

I’m within the healthy BMI range, but I would not say hungry a lot. I think genes play a large role. I think I feel full quicker than most. For example, my son is obsessed with McDonald’s (as many kids under 10 are). If we’re getting something from there, I’ve started getting the kid’s Happy Meal too. It is not as part of some conscious weight regime — I just find it the right amount of food. I used to get the two cheeseburger meal, but would never even touch the second burger; so, I decided I may as well just get the cheeseburger happy meal instead and save some bucks.

(Maybe McDonald’s is not the best example because high in calories, but, eh, I generally find that I feel full quicker than most and leave more food behind than others whenever I’m eating out at a restaurant.)

 

[The Z Machine]

Fairly sure I'd be dead from malnutrition if I was at the low end of the supposed 'ideal' range for my height.

Probably not, but you'd likely be really hungry all the time.

That's the challenge. To be well within the healthy BMI range you have to be willing to be hungry a lot. Not many people sign up for that.

But being hungry much of the time would probably add 5 years to your life and decrease the likelihood of needing a knee replacement later in life.

So was everyone hungry in the 50s to 70s when almost everyone WAS within BMI? I agree that to make even MINIMUM BMI let alone give myself 10-15 lbs of wiggle room it would be almost constant hunger and no treats ever.

No, because they smoked like chimneys.

 

[Redwes25]

Fairly sure I'd be dead from malnutrition if I was at the low end of the supposed 'ideal' range for my height.

Probably not, but you'd likely be really hungry all the time.

That's the challenge. To be well within the healthy BMI range you have to be willing to be hungry a lot. Not many people sign up for that.

But being hungry much of the time would probably add 5 years to your life and decrease the likelihood of needing a knee replacement later in life.

So was everyone hungry in the 50s to 70s when almost everyone WAS within BMI? I agree that to make even MINIMUM BMI let alone give myself 10-15 lbs of wiggle room it would be almost constant hunger and no treats ever.

No, because they smoked like chimneys.

Definitely true as nicotine suppresses appetitive and increases metabolism.

 

[zoobird]

Fairly sure I'd be dead from malnutrition if I was at the low end of the supposed 'ideal' range for my height.

Probably not, but you'd likely be really hungry all the time.

That's the challenge. To be well within the healthy BMI range you have to be willing to be hungry a lot. Not many people sign up for that.

But being hungry much of the time would probably add 5 years to your life and decrease the likelihood of needing a knee replacement later in life.

It's hard to overstate how upset I'll be if I go hungry for the next twenty years or so, and then they come out with a study that shows that BMI wasn't such a big deal after all. Not sure I can take that risk. Better just to eat and be happy.

 

[Mister CIA]

According to my BMI, I'm an NFL safety.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I suspect this idea that you have to be hungry all the time to be thin comes mostly from people eating crappy food.

 

[Keerock]

I suspect this idea that you have to be hungry all the time to be thin comes mostly from people eating crappy food.

 

[Chemical X]

so, after traveling to ny for the xmas holiday for 10 days, 10 days in italy in january and another 7 in ny in february. my home scale weight said 177 or so. i wasn’t happy with how i was feeling so me and the mrs began walking 5+ miles a day and i switched to fruit for snacks, no junk or cheating and a dinner of a large bowl of pea soup, for the fiber and protein. after 2 months i got about 15 pounds off……..and i am just barely in the healthy weight range at 24.2. if i eat some raisins, a banana an apple and some soup as my only food daily, you’d figure i would be a bit better.