Ideal Weight - Where Do They Get Their Figures From??

[Gizmonster]

Well, as a medium build, 6' 2" 50 year old male, I like to think I'm in reasonable shape - I'm a window cleaner.
Anyway, I thought I'd weigh myself and see how I compared to my ideal weight.
My weight = 14 stone 5 lb .... yet the charts suggest I'm slightly overweight.
Depending on what formula/chart you use, my ideal weight ranges from just under 12 stone (I'd look seriously ill if I lost 2 1/2 stone) to 13 1/2 stone.

Based on the healthy BMI recommendation, my recommended weight is 10.3 stone (????) to just under 14 stone.

I do not consider myself to be overweight; okay I may not have a flat stomach, but who does ??

Do these weight charts actually mean anything - I'd love to know who dreams them up ??

[jd_1984]

I question the usefulness of BMI.

Use it as a guide, nothing more.

I have always lifted weights and therefore, for my height, I am mildly obese even though my body fat range is around 14% - 18% . BMI will tell you if you are carrying too much weight but it doesn't tell you if you are carrying too much fat.

Don't obsess over BMI. Mine tell me I should be 11 stone ish - I would look gaunt if I dropped that much weight...

[Gizmonster]

Just worked out my BMI = 25.8 .... slightly overweight, supposedly.

.... but like you rightly say, it tells you nothing of fat content, etc ....

[Hymie]

I posted the following on AB (a couple of months back) in relation to a similar question:-

I’m boarder-line clinically obese, weighing 90kg with a height of 1.75m (5’9”).

I used to work out regularly in a gym and take other exercise; even now I still have quite pronounced calf and bicep muscles.

I have a 44 inch chest and 36 inch waist.

I would argue that there is a significant difference between myself and someone the same height and weight, with no muscle tone, a 36 inch chest and a 44 inch waist – but the BMI measure would see us as one and the same.

[horselady]

Apparently I am 2st over my ideal weight. I would look very ill if I lost that much. I take a size 14 in clothes and at 67 yrs old that's fine with me.

[Cloverjo]

A newspaper article recently said to not go by BMI charts or anything like that.

If your waist measurement is less than half your height you're ok.

[johnk]

BMI is a load of billhooks! If you want to keep a check on your healthy weight buy a body compositon scale (% fat) and go by the healthy fat content