Not too long ago we had a health seminar at work, where you could talk to various health professionals about various health issues, and even get your Body Fat Percentage calculated. So I'm 37-years old, 5'11", 205 pounds (a little less, now) and after all the measurements were taken it was determined I had 21.0% Body Fat. My weight for my height meant my BMI was 28.6 and this is where things took a strange turn. At 21% Body Fat, I easily fell well within the "Acceptable" Ranges for Men, being 18 to 25% Body Fat. My 28.6 BMI is a whole different story, but that's because the BMI is as outdated as your grandmother's giant panties, which can double as a duvet in winter. A 28.6 BMI for a 5'11" male is considered overweight, in fact it's bordering on the obese. Anyone who knows me would say there's no way I'm borderline obese.
I'll admit I could lose a few more pounds, but in order for my weight to fall within the "BMI's Healthy Weight" range for my height I need to get down to under 175 lbs. I have not weighed 175 lbs since I was about 15 years old. The really crazy thing with the BMI is I could weigh 140 lbs and I would still fall within the healthy range. Trust me, if my weight fell below 170 it would not be healthy, and even at 175 I'd probably have people wondering if I have cancer.
If you're one of those wirey people with a slight frame the BMI Tables are possibly one tool (of several) you could use to determine how healthy you are. For people with average or large frames feel free to ignore the BMI, and instead know that if you're a woman and your Body Fat is in the 25% to 31% range, that's apparently "acceptable", whereas Men need to stay a little leaner and keep their Body Fat under 25%, if not around 20%.
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So you're saying that using the BMI isn't healthy because it could send you into a depression? :b
I don't even want to know what my body fat is. I think I"d probably cry.
Yeah - BMI is a funny thing. I'm 5'9" and fall somewhere between 175-180 most of the time. At 36 (almost 37) this is pushing what the Army allows for my age and height (186.)
I'm not unhealthy by any means - and I'm in really good shape - but if I go off of what the height/weight charts say - I'm supposed to be in the 150-160 range. I was around 165 when I came back from Kosovo in 2005 and my wife thought I looked like I'd starved myself.
Frame size impacts all these figures too.
Ultimately - watch your weight - and exercise your heart and lungs. Your weight might not be perfect - but the worked parts will be strong and *that's* important.
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