AIBU about estimating bmi?

[bmi]

Just received this letter and it's made me a bit.. meh
History of disordered eating which he would know if he had asked
My BMI is 35... are we just looking at people and estimating it now?!

Did the doctor definitely not know about your ED? If they didn't know then "can you just pop on the scales for me" would be a reasonable request.

If they did know your history then it's potentially trickier. You'd have been fine with it apparently but a lot of people wouldn't - but then seeing the letter might be just as bad. I'm not sure what the approved course of action would be.

’estimated BMI’ and ‘more factual’ are a contradiction in terms. You can’t have a factual estimation.

It was cold so I did have on a vest, t shirt and a coatigan type thing

I know I'm fat but at least get my weight/height/BMI/age right!

@ViscountessMelbourne no it never came up and I've never had any treatment so it's not on my GP records

It manifests mostly as not eating if I feel shit about my body or self harming

The OP has already said she’s trying to lose weight. The thread wasn’t about her diet, just about whether her BMI should be estimated.

I wouldn’t even have guessed that your bmi was 35!

You do have large boobs, I wonder if what you were wearing may have made your tummy look like it comes out as far as your boobs? I don’t know how to say that in a more diplomatic way? Sorry.

As a medical professional however they absolutely should not estimate your BMI especially if your treatment depends on it

Yeah I'm a 34JJ/K
I did lose a couple of stone once and just ended up being a 32KK and not a single gram came off my bloody boobs!

Are you very petite? Trying to think why they would have miscalculated

Opposite, I'm 5ft 10

He should have weighed you. My BMI is 23.4 and I look more overweight than you. Odd. I don't know how he concluded that by looking at you!

I think you are overthinking this. At any point your BMI is critical for example to calculate a medicine dosage they will weigh you. It's quite clear from the letter is a rough estimate not a calculation. No change to your treatment is happening as a result of the estimation. It's just information sharing. I get that it's potentially a bit upsetting when they have overestimated but I don't think it's a reflection of poor care.

I assume that it was just the effect a baggy top hanging down from big boobs.

If you can't see a waist it's easy to assume there isn't one - but a logical person should realise that any BMI estimate where you can't see the patient's waist is going to be very unreliable, and need checking..

Even when they won't do the surgery if my BMI is 40?

Just realised maybe it was as I was sat down, he came in the consult room as I was in the chair and he never saw me standing up

Still... just weigh me or ask my weight or BMI

If you're 5'10 and your BMI is 35 you'd weigh over 17 stone. That's either an incredibly flattering photo or something is off.

@bmi

I was about to post what a cheeky fucker he was before I saw the photo. Now I’m even more pissed off on your behalf. You clearly don’t even look like you have a BMI of 35 let alone 40. I’d be livid especially when it affects your chances of treatment!

I do... I usually get comments that the scales are broken or I weigh a lot more than I look

I'm tall and broad, basically built like a man with big shoulders (struggle to get coats to fit shoulders etc/bracelets don't fit)

I also exercise a fair amount

Not necessarily. Especially not with J cup boobs and high muscle mass from working out as the OP clearly stated!

‘Less emotive’ was maybe what that poster meant.

In that photo you look overweight not obese let alone morbidly so! I’d put your BMI at 26-28 from the pic. You can’t judge just by looking at someone ….which is the point of your OP of course! I agree with you.

It’s good you’ve followed up. You must be having a shit time with your endo, I’m so sorry. I hope you get your treatment soon.

Yeah they've said it's affecting my bladder and bowel and they expect it to be widespread stage 4

I've had a massive operation before at the same weight and no complications, surgeon said I was one of the fastest recoveries he had

There’s no way I’d estimate your bmi as 40! I’m a size 16 but tall and my bmi is 27 and I look heavier… have you got rocks in your shoes??

I think your scales may be broken. If you’re 5’10, you look slimmer than me and we are similar height, same bra size and I’m 14 stone. My bmi is 27.something.
You need to have a bmi under 35 - I’m going in for stage 4 endo op soon. You’re likely going to struggle losing weight as your oestrogen is dominant in comparison to progesterone. I never struggled with weight til I hit perimenopause

Under 35 is doable... I can up my exercise and I've already started a new habit of no snacks except an apple or banana