I apologize for the counter-rant, but I am so tired of the BMI rant. It's like getting offended if a doctor tells you that you are "vitamin-C deficient".
It's true, the labels of "overweight", "obese" etc are also used in conversational terms, and therefore carry meanings that the BMI scale is not meant to convey. And weight is tied up in a lot of things that aren't purely about health, like appearance and fitness.
But healthy weight does not equal fitness does not equal physical attractiveness. They are often related, though. I've seen plenty of overweight and even obese triathletes, who were obviously fit enough to complete a triathlon, but could be healthier if their weight was less.
I think those Flickr pictures are pretty accurate. Obviously the muscle-builders and the DD cups should adjust for their individual cases. Ditto what was said above: what is "normal" by meaning what Americans see in their peers is not "BMI normal" by what makes your body live the longest. It's not a value judgment, it's a statistical correlation.
As far as guessing BMIrating based on a picture, I think this is a good way to guess: if the elbows are the widest part of the arm, probably underweight. If you can't see the muscle structure in the upper arms or abdomen, the person is probably overweight. If there is "dimpling" at the elbows, knees, or a potbelly, that person is probably obese. If the person's middle is wider than their shoulders, probably morbidly obese.
no subject
I apologize for the counter-rant, but I am so tired of the BMI rant. It's like getting offended if a doctor tells you that you are "vitamin-C deficient".
It's true, the labels of "overweight", "obese" etc are also used in conversational terms, and therefore carry meanings that the BMI scale is not meant to convey. And weight is tied up in a lot of things that aren't purely about health, like appearance and fitness.
But healthy weight does not equal fitness does not equal physical attractiveness. They are often related, though. I've seen plenty of overweight and even obese triathletes, who were obviously fit enough to complete a triathlon, but could be healthier if their weight was less.
I think those Flickr pictures are pretty accurate. Obviously the muscle-builders and the DD cups should adjust for their individual cases. Ditto what was said above: what is "normal" by meaning what Americans see in their peers is not "BMI normal" by what makes your body live the longest. It's not a value judgment, it's a statistical correlation.
As far as guessing BMIrating based on a picture, I think this is a good way to guess: if the elbows are the widest part of the arm, probably underweight. If you can't see the muscle structure in the upper arms or abdomen, the person is probably overweight. If there is "dimpling" at the elbows, knees, or a potbelly, that person is probably obese. If the person's middle is wider than their shoulders, probably morbidly obese.
5'7". 136 lbs. 21.3