Body Mass Index Feedback

This page is feedback about the Body Mass Index or BMI, please help others by adding your feedback. What would you tell someone about BMI?

Female athlete
7/16/2012
I have always known that the standard BMI charts did not fit my profile. I am an avid female athelete, 52 years of age with a hydro-static body fat measurement of 13 percent. The regular charts put me at a BMI of 21.5, but your chart suggests that my BMI is closer to 18, which I believe to be more accurate.

Paula

AskDocWeb: Thanks Paula. Of course you know that many people would like to have numbers like that. Good work!

Football player’s build
9/4/2012
Found that this information was very helpful, I was frustrated with the traditional BMI chart which stated I was obese, I have a football player’s build and work out 4-5 days a week running every other day, again I was able to now understand my BMI calculations better.

Andrew

AskDocWeb: You are welcome Andrew. Now who do you know that would appreciate hearing about this?

Triathlete
9/5/2012
This calculator makes much more sense to me. As an triathlete (sprint to Iron man), I am quite muscular and very fit.

Andy

BMI calculator in line with self-image
10/27/2012
I would just like to say that I love this page and product. I have used several online BMI calculators that never take into account an individual’s build, and I always feel more overweight than I am. This is the first time I’ve used a BMI calculator that actually makes me feel good, and is more in line with how I actually view myself. Thank you!!!

Laura

AskDocWeb: You are welcome Laura. If you want to show your appreciation, share it with your social network.

More confidence
Date: 2/20/2013
I would not say i am a body builder or anything, but I do a lot of exercise such as body pump body attack, I look at my self a think that I am not fat my dress size also says that I am average uk12. So when I go to the doctor for my 6 month check she always tutts and says oh dear still no lost that 4 pounds. However with this tool I rate as desirable, that has given me lots more confidence not to give up.

Simone

More realistic BMI
Date: 3/31/2013
I was really scrawny back in high school, no matter what I tried, but I kept at it, and eventually I got the body I wanted. Now regular BMIs put me at overweight, even though I have 10% body fat (working on 8%, but 10 is really hard to break.) I thought this was much better for determining a more realistic BMI for me.

Ryan

AskDocWeb: Thanks Ryan, feel free to share it with others.

Superior BMI calculator
Date: 4/14/2006
I have disliked the BMI since my days playing college football. I am 5’10” and played at 185, but was considered overweight; by the way I ran a 4.6 forty. While I still find the entire system flawed; your calculator is far superior to the original calculator.

Mike

AskDocWeb: Mike is referring to the BMI for Lean physiques. Thanks Mike!

Muscular woman
Date: 6/25/2013
I am a muscular 43 year old woman athlete and feel validated by this calculator. Other calculators put my ideal wt at 10lbs lighter, which would require either losing hard earned muscle mass or a very low body fat percentage. I appreciate the validation.

AS

AskDocWeb: You’re welcome.

Ex-powerlifter
Date: 8/6/2013
Thanks for this. I’m an ex-powerlifter and since I’m getting older I’m working on cutting down and reducing bodyfat. I still carry a large amount of muscle tissue. According to standard BMI my index is around 30 and I know for a fact that I’m not obese. Just wasn’t sure where I fell. Now I can get a better idea of where I actually fall.

Shawn

AskDocWeb: Thanks Shawn. Just keep in mind that our adjusted BMI calculator for lean people is a theoretical model and is not the standard BMI used in doctor’s offices.

Chick with muscle
Date: 8/28/2013
Hi. I was a competitive athlete in high-school and college, and I’m still fairly active. I’ve always been very muscular and every BMI calculator has me as overweight, not considering the fact that I might actually have muscle. As a chick, it’s difficult to hear that you are ‘overweight’ even when you know you aren’t. Thanks for this calculator.

Samantha
AskDocWeb: You are welcome Samantha. Our Lean BMI calculator is adjusted to take into account the fact that muscle weighs more than fat. People with a low percentage of body fat really deserve a different standard than those with a high percentage of body fat, especially when it comes to determining whether or not they are overweight.

Frustrating for athletes of muscular build
Date: 8/28/2013
So I have done many BMI scales and talked to many nutritionists and they all say I am overweight or even obese. I have always been very active and found it frustrating that in my attempt to exercise more to lose weight I gained more. As a teenage girl I would often be teased or mocked because I didn’t have the ideal ‘ skinny girl’ look. I am very robust for being a girl at my height and after a time of the teasing I was convinced I was overweight. That was when I found your scale. Finally a scale that isn’t based off of the norm. Where us athletes of muscular build can have some confidence. Thank you.

Mia
AskDocWeb: Something that is often overlooked is the fact that muscle weighs more than fat. When conducting an exercise program, it is possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. This may not show up as progress on a scale that measures weight because the weight can actually increase even though progress is being made.

Nailed it!
Date: 10/14/2013
Hi. I am an ex-amateur league basketball player and have a muscular build. All BMI calculators say that I am obese. While I know that I have some excess weight, I’m far from being obese and this lean BMI calculator nailed it perfectly.

Stephan
AskDocWeb: Thanks Stephan. Feel free to share the BMI calculator for athletes with others. Read more Feedback. BMI Report – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – Page 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 – Last Page 16

Related links:

Body Mass Index for those with an athletic build. Calorie Calculator to find the number of calories you burn each day.

Calculate your Ideal Weight for Adults.