To think I am not overweight?

[orangegerbil]

According to BMI, I am overweight with a reading over 27. I am 5'3 and weigh almost 11 stone. I haven't weighed myself in years so I am a little shocked.

I could do with losing a bit around my tummy, but I am a size 10 so I can't be that bad surely? I do have quite a big chest but that can't be the only reason for my weight.

The NHS uses BMI calculators so I am slightly concerned about it as it must be a trusted way of measuring things. Is it possible to have a high BMI but not be overweight?

" It's such complete and utter internalised misogyny to pretend only women care about their weight and that it is somehow a bad thing, that only silly women bother their poor insecure, silly little heads about."

I do think that men don't have to worry about it was much from an attractiveness point of view, only from a health one.
The equivalent of being fat for a woman is being short for a man (I think there was a thread about that recently).

@fellrunner85. It is a ‘blunt tool’, it is useful to a point.

I’m smack-dab in the middle of my ‘healthy BMI range’. I didn’t use the term because I’m a ‘fatty in denial‘ or whatever. It is a perfectly fine guide but measures such as hip:waist, waist size and body fat % are better predictors of metabolic health and cardiac risk. BMI is a good starting point and useful shorthand. As I said, it is perfectly possible for a person to be within their healthy BMI range but have high risk of stroke, diabetes, circulatory and cardiac problems due to visceral fat stores (indicated by fat stored around the middle).

I do think that men don't have to worry about it was much from an attractiveness point of view, only from a health one.

Don't get me wrong. There are many beauty double standards out there. But it's not as if the world is full of beautiful women constantly starving themselves for overweight men. The 2017 survey English health shows that 67.2% of men and 61.5% of women are overweight or obese. So the majority of women are overweight too. While plenty of men are really into sport, fitness or just generally maintaining or slimming to a healthy weight. And like many women they are motivated first by performance and health with the cosmetic effect being an enjoyable bonus.

Completely agree @JonHammIsMyJamm.

My point was more that many people (not meaning you!) tend to interpret "BMI isn't perfect" as "BMI is all bollocks, and besides I go to the gym and can fit in a size 10 so it doesn't apply to me."

And for internalised misogyny, just look at the thread on how people stay slim. Numerous women have written about their love of their sport. How they get phenomenal satisfaction from finding a physical activity that they love. How the activity keeps them fit and they are often inspired to eat in a healthy way to help them perform at their sport to the best of their ability and help meet goals that they set for their own satisfaction. That while they do enjoy being athletically muscular and slim, their motivation is love of the activity and how amazing they feel from it.

And while this discussion is going on, up pops another poster to berate all the silly women for being so obsessed with their weight that they make themselves miserable. These posters are so obsessed with the idea of being better than the silly vain women that they are ignoring what women are actually saying about their motivations.

English health shows that 67.2% of men and 61.5% of women are overweight or obese. So the majority of women are overweight too

And if we think being overweight is normalised, then obesity - ie those that the overweight would say were overweight - is more prevalent in women than men.

You don't have to look huge too be either obese or overweight.

The media is very good at finding a stock photo of someone morbidly obese and pinning it to a feature about obesity- there is one on the BBC online Home page today.

But the reality is that many people who are very overweight and bordering on obese do not look that fat.

I know of people who have a BMI 29-30 (and more) who carry the weight on their thighs, arms, bum and face, but have a relatively smaller waist. But because they wear floppy trousers, or floaty tops, or maxi dresses, it's all hidden.

We need to get rid of this perception that obese means HUGE because for most people it isn't - it's a bit overweight all over which adds up to two-three stones they need to lose.

These posters are so obsessed with the idea of being better than the silly vain women that they are ignoring what women are actually saying about their motivations

Yes! This, x100. Being a size 8 is a (admittedly welcome) side effect of long distance running, not the sole reason for it. I run because it's good for my mental and physical health. Because I love the outdoors and exploring new routes. Because it gives me time to myself, away from a v stressful job and two young kids. The feeling of running out in the hills in the early morning is just fantastic and genuinely fills me with joy.

But it's always assumed that my sole motivation is being thin. Which is very frustrating.

That’s true, @fellrunner85. No room for nuance

I knew the moment I posted this, I would get jumped on. It was supposed to be on the lighthearted side, but anyway...

I realise that men have serious problems with obesity too, but how exactly does that negate the fact that women comparing themselves with each other, effectively calling each other liars on this very thread, is unhealthy and overwhelmingly negative?

Hmm , 11 stone is my max desirable weight and I’m a size 12 /5foot 7

But , you might be a heavy boned person !!!!

You don't have to look huge too be either obese or overweight

This is true. I am in the obese category (I've come down from a BMI of 39 to 35, still pushing for under 30 as a first goal), but I carry weight well and people are surprised at how much I weigh. Some people do more obviously carry weight than others.

Just to add (after pounding on my treadmill for a while there!) I haven't said or even suggested that women are 'silly' for being interested in their health, their weight and indeed their looks. It's the constant comparison. By all means have a discussion about how to get to and maintain a healthy weight, what works for you, how it makes you feel from the point of view of fitness, body image, fat to muscle ratio, personal achievement, appearance - whatever floats your boat - that's sharing information and experiences in a constructive way. It's the patronising suggestions that the OP must be lying I take issue with. She has had to defend herself numerous times.

What flooring did you use today?

@RaspberryLoaf 10st 7

I agree that you dont have to look huge to be obese.

I had a BMI last year of 29 which is very close to obese and I actually felt fairly slim. When I weighed myself I got a shock!

I now have a bmi of 21 and still feel like I could drop a few lbs.

And you look great @LockdownLoser
So agree it's more than how you look.

Thanks @Leophants I was happy how I looked but I wanted to be fitter and healthier and caught the exercise bug!

but I am a size 10

The thing is, I think shorter people can fit into clothing sizes that may otherwise not be their true size due to their height. Eg I’m also short but can fit into a size 4, in reality I’m not that slim so going by clothing size alone is a bit deceiving.

I'm almost an inch taller than you, I've always been overweight since a child.
I'm in the early stages of (another) diet - my target is to lose 3 stone, 1/2 stone so far. WHEN I reach my target, my BMI will be 26.7 - very close to what you are now' I realise it's technically overweight, but I can't comprehend that I might be a size 10 or 12 - I'm currently size 18, was once 22.
The irritating thing about BMI is that it doesn't take the size of your frame into account - a close friend and my sister are my height, they both takse size 4 shoes, I take size 8 - I must have a bigger skeleton!! Maybe I should be 5'8"+ to match my feet?

I don’t shop at Sainsbury’s, new look or NEXT for clothes. I have a few work bits from M&S and think they run large compared to shops like TOPSHOP, Zara? A size 8 pencil skirt from M&S literally twists around my waist as I walk and ends up sideways. Clothing sizes can be an unreliable indicator.

Also as you haven’t weighed yourself in a while, you may have done it at a bad time. It’s best to do it first thing in the morning whilst nude so clothing/food/drink aren’t included in the equation. This could be why you feel slim but the scales are indicating that you’re overweight.

I am the same height, well 5 ft 3.5ins. I weigh 7.5 stone . I wear a mix of size 8 and 10. I can't imagine being 3.5 stone heavier and wearing the same sized clothes . However I have small boobs but am not particularly petite as in I have large feet, hands and don't have a slight frame

I know of people who have a BMI 29-30 (and more) who carry the weight on their thighs, arms, bum and face, but have a relatively smaller waist. But because they wear floppy trousers, or floaty tops, or maxi dresses, it's all hidden.

My BMI is 27.5. I have a medium/large frame, big boobs and a visible waist and tend to gain weight pretty evenly all over so I don't look huge even in jeans. But I know I am overweight.