What's your BMI?

Hi everyone,

I'm curious about your thoughts on the BMI (Body Mass Index) system of determining a healthy weight.

My current BMI is 18.6 which is a healthy weight but a few months ago I was a few pounds lighter and my BMI was 17.7 which is in the unhealthy range. I wasn't starving myself and was eating a very good, mostly raw diet but this BMI seems very low. Should I be worried if my weight is falling into this range, do you think it will cause health problems. I think that I looked very healthy and I actually preferred the way my body appeared at this weight.

Do all of you who stick to a raw diet have low BMIs or are you in the healthy range?

Thank you for your thoughts.

Comments

  • I don't believe in that BMI at all. When I am 10 pounds overweight and getting "muffin Top" over my pants, it says I am on the low range of just right when you can obviously see I need to lose weight. When I am perfect, it says I am too thin. It doesnt take into account muscle mass. If i have no muscle (which I don't) I am obviously going to weight much less. It also can't account for bone mass, fat mass, etc.

    I have seen overweight friends come from the doctor so happy and claim their BMI is just right so they don't need to lose weight. Uh uh, keep kidding yourself.

    And the BMI was never meant to work for an individual anyway, but a general population. It should never be used since it can tell overweight people they are undereight and normal people they are overweight.

  • I agree. My BMI is supposedly just right, but can see that I need to lose some fat and gain more muscle. I think a mirror is the best way to tell if you are at a healthy weight or not. That or a good friend.

  • Top 10 Reasons Why The BMI Is Bogus

    by Keith Devlin

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439

    Americans keep putting on the pounds

  • Thank you for that, I don't think I'll ever look at my BMI again. Weighing oneself at all is a bit silly as it depends on so many different factors. Looking in the mirror seems by far to be the better option.

  • CaresCares Raw Newbie

    I looooved this article :-)

    I have a solid frame and even when young was pretty well muscled I was always tagged as being 'over weight or sometimes called fat by the less polite'.

    Funny thing is...I swam for and hour a day, did physically hard work all day, did weight training etc

    I was 62kg ( 136.69 lb) and 165cm tall (5' 5'') solid muscle, nothing wobbled (apart from my chest which is hard to avoid as a female) and I was called fat and told I was over weight.

    Which is funny because even according to the BMI I was 22.8 which is in the normal range anyway.

    I think a lot of people are just plain rude :-(

    I agree violet...the mirror is the best judge.

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