Body Mass Index
August 25, 2007 by Scott Wharton
Filed under Men's Health
Body Mass Index is a calculation of your body mass based on your height and weight. Basically it is supposed to indicate whether you are under, over, or normal weight for your height. I have a problem with this basic calculation. Ok, I am 5′7″ and weigh about 160. The BMI says that I am within normal weight. about a year and a half ago I was a chunky 177. It said I was overweight then. My problem with this is what if I weighed a solid 175 with a 10% body fat. This a pretty lean body fat percentage (and I’m not reallt great at guestimations either) and I would be pretty stacked as far as muscle mass for that height. Would this mean I am overweight at this weight and height?
I think calculators like this are just a bare-bone basic analysis, good for giving you an idea where you stand because it can not calculate body fat percentage and muscle density. Body fat percentage and muscle density play a big part in determining if you are under weight, overweight, normal, or obese. Lets say a person at my height weighs close to 200 pounds. Now if the muscle density is high and body fat percentage is low, they are obviously not obese, however, I don’t think this is a healthy weight for a person of my height and obviously that person has either worked hard to get fit at that weight or they are hittin’ the juice. To check your BMI and get an idea where you stand click this link (MSN BMI Calculator)
Image Source: MSN.com
I agree to the point that a BMI reading can be used as a guide. The simple fact though that is overlooked by a BMI figure is that it does not take into account the size of the individual’s frame. By this I mean that someone can be of a naturally slender frame which would not carry weight better than someone with a larger frame.