Tuesday, August 12, 2008
HA!
The WiiFit just told me my ideal weight is 116.6 lbs (this to have a BMI of exactly 22, the ideal BMI). I'm not sure how much I truly believe in BMI - because 116.6 lbs seems like...not enough for my particular body (read: huge rack). No matter what I do (and at one point a few years ago I was at 119) I will always, always have this size chest. So if you take into account the fact that all those pounds of chest are likely not figured in and are impossible for me to lose....well, that just makes 116 seem ridiculous.
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This probably isn't a surprise, but I think the BMI is horribly flawed. Most athletes are overweight or obese by BMI standards, because like you point out, the BMI doesn't take into account anything about the weight--boob-size, perhaps, or muscle-mass vs. pure fat.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you saw the article in the Trib this morning with the headline along the lines of "Over half of fat people healthy! GASP!" But skimming the article, it appears that some scientists think the BMI is a giant crock o' shit as well.
/rant.
Oooh I am jealous of your Wii Fit. Do you have Mario Kart yet?
ReplyDeleteFirst off I want to say that I agree that the BMI is very misleading. It implies that there is a universal perfect weight for every height. This isn't true. The body mass index tool that I, and most physicians I know, use gives a range. So for example, a woman who is 5 foot even, the range of 'normal' weights is 95-128lbs. This range does take into account muscle mass, body frame, etc. So someone with an average frame and average muscle mass should be in the middle which is where you get your 116lbs. But if you have a large frame or work out a lot and are muscular you should be closer to 128lbs.
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