Should I take BMI seriously

[NerdAmigo]

Just went for my wellwoman check and got weighted and measured. The Nurse didn't comment on my weight, but I worked out my BMI when I got back and was shocked it was 28, which is well in to overweight.

I exercise regularly and probably eat too much cake. I'm a size 14-16. I wouldlike to be thinner than I am but I have stayed the same size since my last baby without starving myself. Do you take notice of BMI? If not what else do you use to assess whether you are a healthy weight.

My BMI says I am underweight but my doc seems to think I'm ok. If I relied upon BMI alone I would probably be worried that I was ill or something - it doesn't take much to freak me out.
You'd never guess looking at my thighs and waist but my arms and legs are like cocktail sticks.

Sleep I'm sorry, I didn't mean my post to imply I was arguing with you.

I think this is balls.
A size 14/16 won't have any real worries about her health that are weight related.

However this is style and beauty so get on a diet or we'll be faced with having to find outfits that you constantly say no to on the ground of heft.

It depends how tall you are. When I was that size my bmi was obese as only 5 feet 1.

Bit of a stealth boast here but not intended as such so please don't slay me. Size and BMI have to be viewed with the height factor as well or they don't give the full picture. I have just lost 10kg ( about 22lbs) which has taken my BMI from 29.4 to 25.5 :). However, I have only gone from being a big 12-14 to a comfortable 12-14 as I am 5'9" . You will need to tell us your height to know how significant the BMI is - and these days healthcare workers are as likely to be concerned by your waist/hips ratio.

My waist hip ratio is 0.8 and I'm 5'8. I have big norks too.

????
Surely the whole point of BMI is that it takes your height into account? Or are you saying that tall people can 'get away' with a higher BMI? Cos that's not how it works.

Don't understand the significance of height, sorry!

I'm a size 14-16 and my BMI is 23. I'm 5'11" and have the shoulders of an american football player, however.

Agree that waist size is probably a better indicator than BMI in general though.

Yes BMI is a height/weight ratio, so should mean the same thing regardless of your height.

In reality though I think taller people often tend to be proportioned a bit differently, i.e. 'narrower' with respect to their height, so maybe would generally tend to have lower BMIs than short people?

Yes I do take BMI seriously. Unless you are very athletic, it is a pretty accurate measure of what is going on. I weigh myself regularly. Gaining weight is easy, losing weight and keeping it off is difficult, so my strategy is to try to not gain weight.

I've never been overweight and would not like to be overweight - I would dislike the extra bulk. For me, sensible strategies - the French Women technique, eating less energy-dense food (=increasing vegetables) and moderate exercise - are enough. I do not believe in quick fixes and miracle diets.

Sorry - I explained myself badly!! Was thinking about how a size 14/16 is vey different on different heights so was trying to gauge the size of the OP. Given your height and BMI and your waist/hip ratio, I would have thought the health worker wouldn't be too concerned. Sadly for me, although I am taller and have a lower BMI, I have a big fat, apple tummy and quite slim hips so my waist/hip ratio is not good. So hard trying to shift it :(

I'm only 5'3" but can wear same jeans at bmi of 26 as at 22. If you look at spread of acceptable weights this is all accounted for.

Agree that BMI is a bit of a blunt instrument and you can be sub 18 or over 25 with healthy lifestyle and be fine, but roughly within the parameters is good for most.

Clothes size/weight debate has been done to death on here, there really is very little corellation between the two, not just because of differences in people's height but also because clothes sizes vary so much between different shops. Being a 14/8/12 is sort of meaningless tbh, whereas bmi is a genuine indicator.

Perry - a 14/16 can most definitely be overweight and unhealthy (or equally, not!) And if you have such an issue with S&B, what are you doing here ?

Your waist measurement is more important.

Round the tum just above the belly button.

If it's over 32 ( woman) you are running a high risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Perry that's rubbish with respect. Someone who is a normal size 8-10 would be obese if they went up to a 14 or 16. I would anyway.

Nah.
I maintain that unless you are well sub 4 " 10 that a size 14/16 will not see you entering into weight related illness.
For someone used to being v slim being a size 16 might seem much larger but I don't believe it'll kill anyone.

Finally, No, I don't have a problem with style and beauty which is why I am wondering how this discussion is here. It is neither stylish nor beautiful.

You can definitely be stylish and beautiful and be a size 14/16+.

Of course you can Dexter...most of the populace is that size or larger.
I don't think anyone who is a size 14/16 has a life affecting weight issue.

A discussion about BMI and loads of stealth boasting/ pseudo science/ genuine fear or alarm isn't best placed in style and beauty IMO.

I don't think the op thought her weight was life affecting - she was just surprised her BMI was so high.

Absolutely Dexter, but to Perry, if you have a BMI that puts you in the overweight category (even if you are unlikely to have a life affecting weight issue at that weight), whatever size you are, you should pay attention because it is very easy to put on more weight and end up with a weight related illness. Much better to lose a bit of weight and get back in the healthy range, which is in fact quite wide.

I thought Dexter that generally we addressed comments to the thread unless we specifically wanted to speak to someone and then we named them.

I don't think someone who is a size 14/16 has much to worry about wrt health
I also think size 14/16 can be stylish
It might be harder to rock v skinnies unless over 6 ft but otherwise so what

I don't think another weight or BMI discussion is necessary especially here.

Also I struggle endlessly with 10lbs
It's the difference between a dress size for me.
I diet it off, snarf it on but it makes no damn difference to my health just my vanity.
Maybe we should just accept it

[hconfused]

perry- dress sizes are meaningless. My mum takes a 14 because she has 34F boobs. She weighs under 9 st and has a small waist.

It's not really up to you to moderate what is posted on S&B is it?

Maybe the OP should have put this on general health but its not a hanging offence.

Just because you yo-yo by almost a stone is not something to commend- which you seem to be doing.

A healthy BMI is 18.5-25. Anything you read will tell you that you should aim for the lower end. Anything over 25 is getting a bit tubby.

Mine's 19.5 and if I went up to 25 I'd be obese for my size frame.

I haven't recommended hanging....

I am simply stating that it isn't really style and beauty and perhaps some of us try to avoid this generally negative stuff by visiting this part of the site.

I don't think BMIs mean anything.

I think a dress size is just as good a measure as BMI.
RV by your comments you seem to be agreeing with me. I guess that wasn't your intention.
Like I said I don't think a 14/16 is anything to worry about...so by that measure your maw is fine and dandy and you agree with my theory
Also If bmi's count then you wouldn't be obese at BMI 25...they either count or they don't. Which is it?
Waist size either counts or it doesn't.

We all know when we are carrying too much weight. I think if we fall within a normal size we shouldn't sweat it. Diet if you want to don't if you don't.
A size 14/16 for most is a normal, medium size. For short people a bit tubby. For tall not.
I think we should stop focussing on minutiae and look at more general schemes. I don't believe anyone who is a 14/16 should be worried about the health implications of their weight as I don't believe there are any.