Let’s Talk About BMI
September 1, 2024
I think one of the major problems in our health system is how we emphasize our weight in determining health. Your doctor might say “you need to lose weight.” Weight is the easiest thing to measure. Just about everyone has a scale. But there’s a problem with that. The scale alone will not be the best determination of your fitness or health.
Instead, we need to look at our body fat percentage. The big problem is how we determine that. Nearly all of the scales that you stand on, or pretty much any device that asks your weight and/or height, is not accurate in determining your body fat percentage. They’re giving you a BMI (body mass index) number, which isn’t even close to the same thing. It has been a ploy that many clinics use to make their system look credible.
Here’s an example of the fallacy behind BMI. Take an NFL running back – they’re typically around 200-230 pounds and generally 5’10”-6’2”. When you look at them, there doesn’t appear to be an ounce of fat; however, because of the height-to-weight ratio, their BMI will deem them obese even though they obviously are not.
It’s a lot easier to lose muscle weight than it is to lose fat. The problem is the more muscle you lose over time the harder it is to remain healthy and vibrant. When your body is undernourished, it will always choose to lose muscle before losing fat.