[Big Mac]

'Overweight' people live longer than those of 'ideal' weight • The Register

Nothing like flying in the face of conventional wisdom. . .

[Laminar]

That makes sense, as BMI's frequently flawed relationship with real humanity probably has more to do with factors such as the increased height of modern Westerners, the way it doesn't differentiate between muscle mass and lard etc. An "ideal" BMI sufferer putting on a few pounds of muscle by doing some judicious exercise might well stave off death for a bit longer; simply gorging on cakes probably won't help.

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[Dakar V]

Doesn't sound like overweight people live longer. Sounds like the BMI needs to rethought.

[Laminar]

Delete some PMs.

[Eug]

Hmmm... I just learned the meaning of the word "boffin".

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Delete some PMs.

Yeah, yeah, can't wait til my next account.

[shifuimam]

The BMI is mostly a load of crap. You can weigh quite a bit for your size and still be healthy, particularly if your weight comes from muscle mass.

On the other hand, my BMI has been "underweight" for the majority of my adult life. A medication I'm currently on has altered my metabolism, and I've gained weight for the first time in several years. My BMI is now barely inside the "normal" range. It's not because I'm unhealthy. It's just because of the skinny gene.

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

simply gorging on cakes probably won't help.

Damn it!

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey 

Damn it!

i guess jack/cokes, beer and no exercise doesn't help either

[ghporter]

The BMI is a rule of thumb that, because "doctors use it," has taken on the aura of something important. Rubbish! It's just a rule of thumb, one that means you don't have to keep a ream of different body weight and composition charts handy for a quick screening. By itself, BMI is meaningless.

Used with other information, it can be useful, but it's not at all diagnostic. For example, a (non-drugged!) college football running back will probably be a LOT heavier than he looks because he's mostly muscle, but his BMI will be skewed because of that. Is he healthy? I'll bet he is. A marathoner will wind up with an UNhealthy low BMI because while he or she is all muscle, it's all very streamlined-not bulky at all-and thus the marathoner weighs less-with a very low BMI.

Now take a person who is tall and 20 pounds or so over his "ideal" weight. That would be me. My ideal weight at 6'2" is between 172-197, even using the "large frame" numbers. PREPOSTEROUS! AT 19 I weighed 196 on graduation from basic training, and EVERYBODY said I looked emaciated. I have broad shoulders, a large chest and medium hips for a guy; a HEALTHY weight for me is somewhere near 210.

And don't get me started on the subject of "body fat estimates," either. They make BMI look like solid, hard science! The only way to get a decent estimate of a person's body fat percentage is a combination of the full immersion density test AND a complete bone scan, and at that you still don't get anything but an estimate.

[residentEvil]

i'm not fat, i'm big boned! [/cartman]

and well, i am fat. i try, really i do. obese is my official classification. 6'5", 347lbs (as of today). but when i was active in sports (high school, college, traveling clubs) i was around 178lbs. aside from my weight, everything else is "normal" or "perfect" in the doctor world. blood pressure, cholesterol, flexibility, stamina, etc. i did drink heavily, more so than now, and that elevated my liver counts to what is considered "fatty liver". but that has started to come down now too. doctor wants me to get down to 245lbs, and i want to get to 285lbs.

but both of those numbers, based on that stupid BMI, is still "overweight". wtf? i hate the feeling i get when BMI is used by professionals/used to compare.

[RhymesWithOrange]

People with grey hair also live longer. No sheet!

[Sage]

Well, actually, yes. Grey hair may be protecting us from cancer - health - 21 June 2009 - New Scientist