Since the BMI is often way off, especially for people who work out, one gets the impression this is part of a scam. It only uses the part of the data that inflates the index. It try to tell everyone they are fatter than they are, with the hope they will buy goods and services from the free market and government. If I wanted to sell my special water, I would create an BWI (body water index) that will be designed to read slightly low. This way most people will be conned to buy my water since their BWI is low. However, I would also realize, that there will be those who will say, I don't feel thirsty so my body is just fine even if yur index says I need to buy a pint of special water. But as long as they go along an don't spoil the scam, there are still many sheep to shear. The government agencies involved in obesity will get more funding the greater the problem is or appears to be. If I was a spin merchant earning by keep, I would come up with an index to make a mountain out of a molehill. A revised BMI might be needed if the scam is not hitting the projected numbers so even thin people need to enroll in a program.
I think a certain amount of the push to use the BMI is driven by C.Y.A. attitudes from overworked doctors and the push to sell scripts from the drug companies. If your BMI is too high, you need a blood pressure med, a cholesterol - lowering med and a sugar lowering med, the paid services of a dietitian and many more doctors office visits along with that unused gym membership.
I'm very petite. So I am always surprised when I have my BMI calculated that I'm only a point away from being considered overweight. Which I find mind-boggling. Does the test they use on dogs work? If your ribs are visible you're underweight, if you can feel your ribs without much proding then you're a healthy weight and if you have to dig around to feel your ribs then you're overweight...and so on.
And then there are people who are in fact fat, but have a good BMI. This is not uncommon among young girls who look relatively slim, but who have very little muscle and too much fat.
According to the BMI, the normal weight for my height of 5' 7.75" would be in the range of 121 to 162.5. I have large bone for a female and wear a man's large glove, and I do a lot of physical work and so carry more muscle than many women. My weight usually stays between 147-157 depending on the time of the year. I have 'blimped' to 165 twice in my life and then took remedial action in the form of more attention to my diet/activity. One time the weight gain was in response to a medication and the second time was while recovering from an injury and a fondness for frozen chocolate yogurt. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Three years ago, my weight dipped to 133 and standing in front of the mirror, I was a bag of bones. Seriously. I looked like I must have a terminal condition. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I changed jobs, recovered to my usual weight and people (men and women) now frequently compliment me on my appearance once again. More importantly, I have far more immediate strength and endurance, more than people many years my junior who seem to fatigue much more easily. I question the BMI scale also because I find it hard to think that I would still be breathing if my weight dropped to 121 lbs, considering the pathetic state I was in at 133. :shrug:
