Is BMI an accurate measure?

04-03-2017, 10:40 PM

Hi, I'm a female in my 20s and my BMI is 29.18. Nearly in the obese range. I'm 5ft 4in and 170 pounds. However I played soccer for 12 years and ran track 3 of those years as well. As a result I've had huge calves and thighs (All muscle) even when I was very athletic. In high school at my peak athletic performance I was 140 and then I was barely in the healthy BMI range. So I guess the question is how accurate is BMI in determining my health? I need to determine what my goal weight loss should be. I also ask because I'm hoping to conceive soon and am worried about adverse health effects my weight could have on pregnancy? I tried to calculate body fat percentage but it's a bit more complicated I think I'm around 26% but not totally sure that's correct.

04-04-2017, 12:56 AM

Hi there

I am no doctor, nor other health professional, but my doctor does not go off of BMI. He said it is based on outdated methods decades years old that are not accurate to today's society.

I hope this helps!
K.

04-04-2017, 04:45 AM

The BMI is not an accurate measure. It is over 150 years old and even the inventor admitted that the BMI is flawed. The BMI is a tool, just one of many tools. Do not rely on the BMI all by itself.

04-04-2017, 01:15 PM

Everyone has a different frame size. If your big boned your weight will be higher than someone with small frame size.

BMI is only one tool.

08-01-2017, 11:17 PM

BMI is really inaccurate. It's bad for women cuz we often have curves that change our body fat composition and weight. It's bad for athletes because athletes weigh more, on account of muscle weighing more than fat. It's bad cuz a person can be "overweight" but totally healthy.
If you feel fine, that's what matters.

08-05-2017, 02:33 PM

If you were 140 lbs. at the peak of your athletic performance in high school and now you weigh 170, you gained 30 pounds, and it's unlikely that you gained 30 pounds of muscle. It's more likely that you gained 30 pounds of fat.

So, if I were you, I would try to lose at least 30 pounds.

03-20-2018, 07:22 AM

Hi
BMI and a number on the scale is not an accurate measurement of health. I have been 148kg and now I'm 84kg after undertaking a life style change and for a while I got obsessed with the number on the scales until I realised how unhealthy that was for me. BMI doesn't consider muscle mass and body shape and bone density. It seems to me you are living a healthy lifestyle so I wouldn't get caught up in the numbers games cos ultimately it's not going to make u happy.

Is BMI an accurate measure?

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