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No need to get your panties in a bunch. I highly doubt Michelle Obama said BMI was the last word in health, no one who understands the least bit about health would say that.
HOWEVER, BMI is an extremely convenient jumping off point for assessing a person's health. In either of the extremes, you can say pretty confidently if someone is carrying too much or too little weight. Being the imprecise scale that it is, there's also plenty of wiggle room so if you fall a bit out of the normal range but are healthy, you don't need to get mad at the BMI scale for calling you fat.
BMI is like Wikipedia. It's a great, quick way to get a ballpark idea of where you stand but you don't want to base any major life decisions on it.
Except that some government organizations use BMI as a measure of fitness in relation to obesity, the United States Military for example. While I was in the Navy and they went to this formula, Navy SEALS were labeled as obese. They had to have a photo taken of them wearing only shorts, photo certified by a commanding officer, and attached to a request to waive the body fat standards. These were guys who jumped out a boat 5 miles from shore, swam to shore, jogged across the sandy beach for several miles, and then started working out. Using the method of measuring bone density, height, weight, and caliper pinch these guys averaged less than 10% body fat. I was considered over weight at 5'5" tall and 155 lbs even though I could easily pass the Navy's fitness test and carry more than 50 lbs on my back while climbing up and down ladders during firefighting drills. I consider myself obese today. This happened through a combination of shoulder injury, depression, and other factors. All I can do is continue trying to get in better shape. Have already stopped emotional eating (once ate an entire pot of Kraft Deluxe Mac-n-cheese in one sitting). I'm talking clinical depression. It creates a cycle of depression, lack of motivation, emotional eating, weight gain, more depression, and the cycle continues. Already delt with the depression and emotional eating. Still trying to maintain a steady exercise routine with my work schedule. 11pm-7am 7 days straight, 2 days off, 3pm-11pm 7 days straight, 2 days off, 7am-3pm 7 days straight, 4 days off (our one weekend a month), repeat rotation. I do this while trying to care for my wife (multiple spinal problems) and our home.
In the absence of the ability to measure body fat with calipers, I believe waist/hip ratio is a good indicator.
However, if you lived through the 70's, you might remember the Kellogg's cereal commercial that asked "Can you pinch an inch?" Forget about an inch nowadays most people can grab a handful! Back in the days before Supersize and HFCS and frankenfood, most people were considerably thinner. There were only one or two overweight kids in my class. It was so unusual to be really overweight that the "pinch an inch" standard was a good reminder that you needed to cut back.
Pinching an inch is really the best indicator of being overweight. No measurements or formulas that don't apply to everyone. But pinching an inch really only applies to people who are minimally overweight.
The trouble with "pinching an inch," is what you stated, with many people today they are way beyond pinching an inch. This is where BMI simply does one thing, it tells people whether they are overweight or obese.
Except that some government organizations use BMI as a measure of fitness in relation to obesity, the United States Military for example. While I was in the Navy and they went to this formula, Navy SEALS were labeled as obese. They had to have a photo taken of them wearing only shorts, photo certified by a commanding officer, and attached to a request to waive the body fat standards. These were guys who jumped out a boat 5 miles from shore, swam to shore, jogged across the sandy beach for several miles, and then started working out. Using the method of measuring bone density, height, weight, and caliper pinch these guys averaged less than 10% body fat. I was considered over weight at 5'5" tall and 155 lbs even though I could easily pass the Navy's fitness test and carry more than 50 lbs on my back while climbing up and down ladders during firefighting drills. I consider myself obese today. This happened through a combination of shoulder injury, depression, and other factors. All I can do is continue trying to get in better shape. Have already stopped emotional eating (once ate an entire pot of Kraft Deluxe Mac-n-cheese in one sitting). I'm talking clinical depression. It creates a cycle of depression, lack of motivation, emotional eating, weight gain, more depression, and the cycle continues. Already delt with the depression and emotional eating. Still trying to maintain a steady exercise routine with my work schedule. 11pm-7am 7 days straight, 2 days off, 3pm-11pm 7 days straight, 2 days off, 7am-3pm 7 days straight, 4 days off (our one weekend a month), repeat rotation. I do this while trying to care for my wife (multiple spinal problems) and our home.
Thankfully the Marine Corps does not use BMI. We have a "max/min" weight for a certain height. Men have one standard, women have another that is in theory normalized. I have never taken the time to research why we have the height weight standards set how they are, but I do think it's a fair standard. We also have metrics in place for those 5'5" guys who weigh 180 pounds of solid muscle. They will take the body fat percentage either through taping or use of calipers. I know a couple guys who are just big guys, both over 6' tall and they have to measure body fat every time. They prefer the calipers because it is more accurate.
While we all can agree BMI isn't a one size fits all measure, the reality is, most people in this country are overweight, obese, fat whatever phrase you want to use. Most people don't eat healthy or go to the gym, so while BMI isn't useful for an athlete like lebron james, its a very good measure for the 40 year old accountant who sits at a computer all day, with a wife, and two kids who may go the to gym once every 3 months.
BMI is only a rule of thumb. It does not distinguish between muscle and fat. Just like the rule of thumb that your maximum heart rate is 220-your age. I regularly exceed that while working out and haven't passed out yet.
The BMI is very clear about not being meant for children or serious athletes (you would count, Pimpy!). Everyone knows muscle weighs more than fat, and the BMI is not meant to be used for people with unusually low body fat percentages, or with a lot of muscle. It's meant for the average adult. And it works fine for that purpose.
I've never heard of schools doing BMI testing on students. Maybe there is a special BMI for kids? The regular BMI is not intended for anyone under 18.
BMI is only meant as a screening tool, not diagnostic. Other anthropometric measures should be used when assessing the nutrition status of individuals.
However, it can still be a very useful tool in research when screening and comparing populations.
Trained professionals are aware of the benefits and limitations of using BMI and how to apply it.
they arent going to talk about BMI regulalry because they dont feel it applies to them. but if you asked them or they happen to talk about it, they wont like it. i believe a couple of guys here have mentioned that it claims they are obese even though they are lean but muscular.
Why would I talk to them about it? I know.my bodyfat % as.do extremely muscular dudes. Outraged fat people are the only ones who go starting BMI discussions.
Just read another interview with Michelle Obama where she was touting BMI as the be-all-and-end-all metric by which a person's health should be measured.
First of all, who declared her nutritionist-in-chief? Has she ever even taken a 100-level class in exercise science? She isn't even in that great shape herself!
Second, if she's going to declare herself ruler of what our young people put into their bodies just because she happens to be married to the President, surely there's someone in that administration who has a brain and understands the myriad of reasons why BMI is largely meaningless, and can give her a crash course.
BMI takes into account height and weight and nothing more. Frame size, bone structure, muscle density, body fat, even GENDER, are not acknowledged by this worthless measurement.
Therefore, it is meaningless as a measure of fitness. Take me for example.
I'm 5'10" with a medium-to-large frame and bone structure. I lift weights or play some sort of competitive sport 5-6 days per week. My body fat is 11%. I bench 350 and can run a half-marathon in under two hours. My blood pressure is 120/80. While not Brad Pitt in Fight Club, I do even have somewhat of a six-pack.
And according to Michelle Obama and the BMI worshippers, I am not only overweight but damn close to obese.
Why? Because I weigh 200 pounds first thing in the morning in bare feet. That puts my BMI at 28.4, well above the 24.9 that is the maximum measurement they consider to be healthy.
According to the BMI calculation, I should weigh between 129 and 173. That's right, these geniuses believe that ONE-TWENTY-NINE is a healthy weight for a 5'10" male, but not 200.
Even 173 is a joke for a guy with my frame and athleticism.
So given that I'm a disgusting fatty according to Michelle O, I figured I'd do some research to see who else is in the club. Turns out I'm in great company. Here are some other people who are considered overweight or obese by the BMI standard:
Sylvester Stallone
LeBron James
Will Smith
Tim Tebow
Bruce Willis
Peyton Manning
Kobe Bryant
George Clooney
And yes ladies... even Brad Pitt (at least when he was preparing for "Troy") has a BMI higher than the ideal range.
What a bunch of fat slobs who deserve to have their lunches calorie-restricted by the federal government!
On a serious note... how do people still buy into this garbage???
If you had any sense,you would know Michelle O. is one of the people with a great muscle to fat ratio.
She is muscular with little bodyfat;you can see that with her arms.
She isn't overweight because of fat,she is because of muscle.
I look at the woman and nothing screams fat to me.
My guess: You are overweight and in denial.
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