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Original poster

If you BMI is 24.2 are you 'Fat' because the doctor just said I was & I am mortally offended

15 replies

KatyMac · 31/01/2009 17:05

I went for a worsening UTI & have ended up with a diagnosis of probable Gall stones

Apparently I am fair, fat & forty which is typical for this

Umm, my BMI is 24.2 and my hair is dark brown (before I went grey it was very dark brown)

I AM SULKING

OP posts:
TigerFeet · 31/01/2009 17:09

24.2 is within the healthy range which I think is around 18-25 or thereabouts (will go and check but am fairly confident that 25 is the upper limit)

You are not fat

Poor you about the gallstones - I had suspected gs last year (turned out to be chronic IBS) but I have a mate who had them and she was in a lot of pain.

Flamesparrow · 31/01/2009 17:09

Bastard.

I am nuts and a hypochondriac according to my doctor.

(Well, "Its psychological, goodbye" is a more accurate version of the appointment)

sarah293 · 31/01/2009 17:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
KatyMac · 31/01/2009 17:10

Yes he said it

I don't even have particularly fair skin

OP posts:
TigerFeet · 31/01/2009 17:14

I feel your pain KatyMac - my GP (who can't be any more than 16) called me old the other day, I am pg and 35 and he almost accused me of being too old to breed [gimmer]

duchesse · 31/01/2009 17:26

"fair, fat and forty" is the mnemonic used to teach doctors to be alert to the likelihood of gallstones as this is the group most likely to develop them. If he is young and recently trained, he may have running through his diagnostic tricks out loud, not deliberately attempting to offend you. I would honestly think nothing of it.

Original poster
KatyMac · 31/01/2009 17:26

He was about 50

OP posts:
duchesse · 31/01/2009 17:29

Gosh, well he sounds as though he has similar social skills to my named GP then. I always request someone other than my named GP. I suspect that yours may be a little limited then.

magentadreamer · 01/02/2009 09:10

The fair bit isn't skin/hair colouring but fair as in the fairer sex ie a woman. I was taught Fat Fair and Forty in relation to the typical gall stone suffer. But I'd never come out and just say it!!

CaptainKarvol · 01/02/2009 09:25

And if it's any consolation that you don't NEED to be either fat or forty, my lovely SIL who is 33 and tiny has just been treated for gallstones.

chatname · 03/02/2009 21:57

It could have been worse, he could have said "fair, fat, forty, fertile and flatulent"...

MabelStark · 08/02/2009 15:28

I had an operation for gallstone removal when I was 28 and certainly not fat!! Think that the 'fair' refers to our unhealthy western diet...

Yes, gallstones can be very painful indeed, but if you avoid fatty foods and do not have too much dairy,(cheese really)you should be fine. The op is now done with keyhole surgery and is really straightforward.

Exercise1Girl · 13/02/2009 22:58

The BMI goes from 20-25 and is quite inaccurate.

It depends on your body composition, not dead weight, because it's fat weight not total body weight that determines health, but the BMI is an old sausage the GPs are still using instead of more modern technology.

For example..you get a guy who works out regularly, with muscle being much heavier than fat. So he's 5-7 and weighs 15 stone, but he's only got 12% fat.

The BMI will tell you he's appreciably obese!
It's a good example of how this is a dated method, so 24.1 is actually not 'fat' at all, as you still have .9 to go before you reach the 25 mark and then you have to be over that too, to qualify for the term moderately overweight.

Obese is a horrible term, which can be quite a hurtful phrase to use. I think 'significantly overweight' or 'very overweight' needs to be used. Those who are, know they are, without clinical terminology being unecessarily 'cutting' about it.

hungryhorse · 13/02/2009 23:56

I agree regarding the BME being inaccurate and have to say that when my BMI is nearing 25 (I go up and down) I would say I was overweight. Well not overweight, but fat- as in I have horrible lumps and flabby bits. Not saying you are fat at all, just that the BMI cut offs are not exact for everyone.

Re: the term 'obese' - yes it is horrible but I think it is neccessary. My partner is overweight, but blind to it, and on the BMI scale I think he is obese or maybe even seriously obese. Nowadays, as we in the West are getting bigger, we come to accept larger sizes- when are bodies are no better at dealing with the problems of obesity just because more people are now fat.
Showing my partner that he is clinically obese has shown him that his weight is extremely bad for his health.
It is not just 40 stone people who have health problems from being big, and many people would probably be suprised to be defined as 'obese' from their BMI.

LadyThompson · 24/02/2009 13:26

You can change your weight. Your GP can't change being a fuckwit.

(And no, I don't think you are fat and BMI is a blunt tool anyway).

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