View Full Version : Body Mass Index
DanDare
03-04-08, 01:09 PM
Do you believe in it?
I have just been turned down a job for being to big. I am 6ft 1ish and weigh 17st 10. Whilst this may seem a lot, I am a big framed guy, with very broad shoulders. I have a friend who is the same size but is as skinny as a rake and looks ill. However his BMI is Ok.
They said my BMI of 33 was too high. I pretty sure I read that Martin Johnson the Rugby player is about 40 BMI and yet there's no fat on him.
I hate being grouped together in simple terms, everbody is literally different.
Has anyone else found this idea a crock of sh*t?
Rhiwbina_Squirrel
03-04-08, 01:13 PM
Yeh, it's complete sh*t. Mine is something like 38 and I'm not obese nevermind dangerously obese.
What job was you turned down for if you dont mind me asking ?
Mine is about bang on apparently as it was all checked when i signed up at a gym the other day.
Yet my girlfriend is apparently a little over average and was in the red on this scale thing they used, yet anyone who has seen her can confirm she is pretty tiny.
How anyone can say shes need to loose anymore weight/mass is mental.
Its stupid mass grouping things like this that give people like my girlfriend a complex.
I am the perfect weight..... i'm just too short for that weight...... :D
I am the perfect weight..... i'm just too short for that weight...... :D
Me too, about 3 feet too short apparently :D
DanDare
03-04-08, 01:55 PM
What job was you turned down for if you dont mind me asking ?
Contract Firefighter.
gettin2dizzy
03-04-08, 01:55 PM
based on BMI solely seems unlikely. I'd imagine they also looked at you in that desicion. 18 stone is pretty big! tbh
Contract Firefighter.
Sorry to hear it, when I left the Air Force I was going to apply for the fire service, unforunately the Squadron leader ressetlement officer nearly fell off his chair laughing when I mentioned my plans at a leaving interview, only 5ft 4 ins on rippling muscle and therefore too short you see, barsteward didnt have to laugh though :(
Have a look at this
http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
DanDare
03-04-08, 02:11 PM
It would appear 16st is my target!
Crash diet here I come!:chef:
Al_Sweetman
03-04-08, 02:25 PM
BMI is a complete waste of time - it's the age old muscle vs fat issue whereby it doesn't take any account of someone being vaguley fit!
DanDare
03-04-08, 02:35 PM
Gonna write a letter and appeal as I did the physical tests back in December and heard nothing since till last week.
Might look into the scientific findings of BMI as well.
DanDare
03-04-08, 02:41 PM
From Wikipedia:
The body mass index (BMI), or Quetelet index, is a statistical measure of the weight of a person scaled according to height. As such, it is useful as a population measure only, and is not appropriate for diagnosing individuals. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgium) polymath (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymath) Adolphe Quetelet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolphe_Quetelet) during the course of developing "social physics".
metalmonkey
03-04-08, 03:00 PM
A body fat test is a mush better way of doing it! Though i had a a body fat test using a electroic thing, anyway it said I was 28% body. I asked my doctor about this as he is into his sports, sports injuries he knows his stuff. He said that those machines are worng the best way is where they take measurements using clapiers or what ever they are called, should be done from different parts of the body.
I'm about 22-23 on the BMI which is crap my doctor said I'll be around 12-15% body fat. But they those that know me, know that I'm quite small!
wyrdness
03-04-08, 03:06 PM
BMI is pretty much discredited nowadays as it doesn't distinguish between muscle mass and fat. A fit strong person can have the same BMI as a lardy couch potato.
I don't understand why some people still insist on using it.
No point messing around with BMI
I basically ignores the fact that muscle weighs more then fat, so any athlete or muscular bloke with a low body fat content is still obese.
Why it is used in "medication" terms (I hope you see what I mean here) is beyond me.
I'm 6' 1", and weigh 80kg with 10% body fat. At the moment, I think I am classed as ok, but a few months back when I was heavier at about 85kg with 12% body fat I was classed as over weight. My training will take me to about 87kg and 8% body fat, but the BMI will still me have as overweight/obese.
Proof, that really it should be ignored hehe
Alpinestarhero
07-04-08, 11:14 AM
I'm 5ft 10" weighing in at about 59 kg.
So I'm kinda underweight on the BMI scale. Oh well. Always been this way, not dead yet and I'm pretty healthy :D
Carry on
Matt
59kg sounds ideal though weight wise for a SV :)
blue curvy jester
07-04-08, 01:57 PM
since the same area of muscle weighs exactly twice that of fat the BMI is a crock
in the last world cup every member of the all blacks team was MORBIDLY obese !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so its all rowlocks
the_lone_wolf
07-04-08, 02:30 PM
sorry dan, you're obviously too fat
i could try to sugar coat it, but you might eat that too...
;)
Dan... this is illegal, it's pure discrimination. Seek legal advice. I'm not suggesting that you'd now want to work for such a company, but please get them put in their place. It's no different than age or sex discrimination which is clearly illegal, not to mention discriminating against disabilities..
The BMI is a crock of ****, it really is. It's an average of averages... it doesn't take into account muscle or bone density, build, or muscle or bone mass. At your height, it's fair to say that if you're carrying a bit of muscle, your bones must also be sufficiently strong and large to hold it, and provide the muscle to bone connections.
Seek advice... you may not need to work for a while if you pull it off - which should be childsplay.
yeah a friend of mine got a letter from his doctor asking him to come in to talk about the health issue of being obese, after he had been for a check up with a nurse, took his height and weight and went 'oh you must be obese' but didnt take into account that he was actually a professional rugby player!! now he was a big lad, but it was all muscle, certainly not obese as mr doctor thought
beaniebikerbabe
07-04-08, 03:43 PM
I am the perfect weight..... i'm just too short for that weight...... :D
same here lol but bmiis a crok of pooh!!!!! does not take muscle mass in to consideration!!:rolleyes:
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