Body Mass Index Too Vague, Researchers Say

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

BMI SHOULD be more complex than a measure of height and weight. I've always said it comes down to body fat % every time. Here's an article you all might find interesting.

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/46945379/#46945379

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

thanks

[FluffyBleu76 32]

I did research on this about 12 years ago. At 5'4.5" tall, at my healthiest, I weighed 162 lbs. According to the BMI calculation, I was "overweight" with a bmi of 26.9. I was also lifting weights and working with football players in the gym. I was far from overweight. I knew then that the BMI was an archaic standard that didn't take muscle mass or ethnicity into consideration. I have a friend who is bigger than me but her BMI is lower. I have wondered since I got the approval from insurance if they would come to the same conclusion if body fat percentage was used instead of BMI.

[Lissa 2,631]

Irene, I know you've posted before about how to find out your body fat percentage. Could you point me to that post or re-post it? Please?

[teamthin 7]

When I was in the army they had a formula for people who went over the numbers on the scale. It measured your neck, hips, stomach, and wrist. Then they could determine if you were overweight due to muscle or body fat...

Sent from my iPhone using VST

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Lissa, I check my body fat percentage by using a Body Fat Caliper. I bought one off ebay for $6, but then also received one in my Insanity package that seems like a little better quality. If you do a google search for Body Fat Caliper there are several websites you can input what your Caliper mm says and it will formulate your body fat% for you.

I've also done the BodPod, which you would have to find one in your area. The closest one to me is about a 45 minute drive at a Gold's Gym. I've found that the Caliper test came within .5% of what the BodPod resulted with, so I'm trusting the Caliper to work for me. Much less expensive!

Sorry I don't remember the thread I had out there but I know all the answers are on google because that's where I found them.

[Wheetsin 714]

A friend of mine is a lifter with 4% body fat, and is morbidly obese according to BMI charts. That's a fundamental flaw in the calculation, but a biggie.

BMI is about as reliable as a scale.

[SweetnCurvy 112]

BMI SHOULD be more complex than a measure of height and weight. I've always said it comes down to body fat % every time. Here's an article you all might find interesting.

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/46945379/#46945379

I have always thought it was inaccurate..now I have proof lol

[zoekids 120]

Irene' date=' I know you've posted before about how to find out your body fat percentage. Could you point me to that post or re-post it? Please?[/quote']

Also some nicer digital scales can calculate Body Fat % When I enter my tape ,measurement into my Bodybugg program it also calc a bodyfat%