Weight, BMI and DRs!!!??

[Wateringcan5]

Doesn’t really affect me, I’m just curious and wasn’t sure of the answer. I always thought BMI was inaccurate because of muscle mass so I was confused about this.

I recently saw a video on tiktok with someone who had a scarily low BMI, I think it was around 14 or 15 but I can’t remember exactly. In their post they were complaining about going to the gp and hospital for something unrelated to their weight and the staff apparently hassling them about being underweight and unhealthy and so on. People were commenting that they were lucky they didn’t get forced to stay in hospital for being so skinny.

so here’s my question, Is that even possible? I understand if someone has an eating disorder and is unwell from it, they can be forced to stay in hospital to gain weight, but if someone goes to an appointment at the GP or hospital or a/e for something unrelated to their weight, and the staff notice they are skinny and weigh them, could they really be made to stay in hospital even if they’re not unwell from being underweight? If so, what’s the BMI limit where this would happen? Does it happen for people with very overweight BMIs too? I’m just a bit confused because I thought BMI was unreliable due to muscle (happy to be corrected though I’m not that knowledgeable) so can they really just look at a BMI and force you to stay in hospital because it’s too big or small?!

This thankfully doesn’t affect me, I was just curious and confused after seeing the tiktok video and wasn’t sure if commenters were wrong or correct! I always thought BMI was inaccurate but of course I could be wrong!

i always thought BMI was inaccurate because of muscle mass so I was confused about this

this is a myth that larger people often say but in reality, for most people, BMI is a pretty accurate indication of healthy height to weight. Of course, many people will be on here soon to give the example of arnie being obese and to say that they’re 5’6” and 15 stone and look perfectly healthy but they’re either outliers or bending the truth.

you can’t be just kept in hospital if you’re underweight, no

For the normal, average person it’s still an ‘alright’ guide to go by, though, like all things is unreliable in certain groups, like athletes/those that have additional muscle mass and low body fat. There are other, perhaps, better measurements that can be used instead of or in conjunction with.

Unless a person lacks capacity they cannot be made to stay in hospital. If clinicians are concerned about a patient’s capacity to make decisions they can perform a capacity assessment and go from there, but to be detained in hospital for treatment of weight related issues takes a lot of time, people and process. People are allowed to make decisions you might deem as unwise if they have capacity to do so.

Tiktok comments tend to be by clueless teenagers so I wouldn't believe them.
You wouldn't get forcibly hospitalised just for having a bmi 14%
Doctors bring up weight frequently in appointments even when you weren't seeing them about weight because it's extra advice and linked to many issues.

The Mental health act can be used for anyone who is self harming via any means. It is rare in the UK that it's used for people who aren't diagnosed as anorexic and aren't already Ill. I wouldn't take the word of anyone on tiktok. My DD had a BMI of 18 and she was fobbed off when attending hospital and her low body fat blamed for enlarged lymph nodes. So the hassle can happen. Most people on tiktok do anything for attention.

My BMI seems to inaccurate, but not to the point that I would dismiss it completely.

If you are an elite sportsperson/body builder BMI can be inaccurate due to muscle.

Given this does not apply to 99% of the population, BMI being inaccurate is a myth that is appealing to the large numbers of us, me included, who find being told that in medical terms they are obese upsetting.

BMI is also a rough scale used for population type statistics. Oxford uni have a good explanation for why it doesn't work for those who are shorter or much taller, and a revised calculator (it doesn't make for good reading for me, but I feel it's more accurate). I think the PPs comment about athletes and muscle mass is spot on, but the height issue is a problem (albeit it doesn't alter results massively).

Yeah, I did think the tiktok commenters were wrong! Couldn’t imagine doctors forcing people to stay in hospital just because they were a bit over or underweight. That’s interesting about BMI actually being accurate as I had always heard it was rubbish but shows how much I know! I’m going to go and check my own bmi now as it’s been a while since I did it.

BMI is one of the tools, best used with other (like waist size) and pinch of common sense.

BMi under 15 is generally considered dangerous and if I am not mistaken 13 is a point when hospitalisation is considered.