So, I go to a website, and type in my info, weight, age, SS# and mothers maiden name, and come up with: You have a BMI of 32.44 - Obese Class 1


OK, so that is my number, right? You'd think! On Thurs, I'm at teh gym, and we have a new fancy shamcy scale that calculates your BMI or what I think is my BMI. I again put in the same info, step on it barefoot, and come up with 40.6





That sure made my day a downer.

Anyone have any insight? Was it not my BMI that this scale calculated and something else?

Im same height and pretty much same weight within a poind and I get 31-32 as my BMI depending on what website I use, but I've never used a scale that calculates it.

Not that I put much in BMI to be honest

Are you sure the new scale wasn't measuring fat percentage? I used to think that BMI was a measurement of % fat but its merely a ratio of height to weight and says nothing about how fat you are. Athletic people with low fat mass but lots of muscle can come out as 'obese' according to BMI.

Kitty

It sounds like the scale at your gym is measuring your fat percentage, which is different from BMI. I've heard that scales aren't terribly accurate at calculating fat percentage. I have one and don't trust the number, but use it for tracking trends (going up v. going down).

On another note, I am concerned about a website that asked for your ss# and mother's maiden name to give you your BMI.

I'm concerned about that, too. Or were you joking?

BMI (body-mass index)is based only on your weight and height and is a rough guideline only. The scale you stepped on probably gave you percentage of body fat. You cannot compare BMI with percentage of body fat--they are completely different numbers.

Jay

darnit. I was trying to be cleaver with saying that. It didn't ask me that. Just seems they ask a lot of questions.

Maybe you're right, maybe it was fat %, I thought it was one in the same though. Doh'

OK, glad to hear you didn't give that info. You were clever enough to fool me!

5'4 @ 185lbs is a BMI of 31.8

40% would be a body fat number, and that is fairly reasonable for 5'4, 185lbs, without any history of weight training. (my trainer is a body builder with a 6 pack - she is 5'4 and 135lbs, nearly "overweight", but has lifted weights for 20 years)

An "athletic" female would be around 18-20% body fat, an "average" female would be around 25-30%, and being overweight would be around 30+%.

The problem is that body fat indicators at gyms or home are very, very unreliable. They are off easily by 5-10%. The only accurate ones are usually in sports medicine clinics or kinesiology labs!

I agree that it was probably giving you your body fat %. I have a scale that does that and like another poster, don't put any stock in the actual number, but just use it to track whether it says I'm going up or down. 40% sounds about right for a person with a 32+ BMI. Mine said I was like 36% when I was at a BMI of just over 30.

I wouldn't trust the fancy scale. I was on one at a gym I used to go to and the trainer saw my jaw drop. He came over and said not to trust it, even for weight, he suggested I use the hospital grade on in the lockers. Just to prove his point, he got on (he was RIIIIPPPED!) and it said his BMI was 33. Which is obviously BS. I got a chuckle out of it though, which was his intention.

Even the calculators I have trouble believing. Maybe it's the fat girl in me talking, but I have a hard time believing someone who is 5'8 can EVER be 131lbs like they recommend. Maybe someone who is 5'8" and 131lbs can prove me wrong. I was 180 before I got PG, could stand to lose a few more pounds, MAYBE 20, but not 50 more, that is just insane.

haha... I thought you were being serious about the info it asked for. Glad to hear that you didn't give that stuff out

Yeah, now that I think about it, it prob was body fat %. I can try not to put to much stock in the %, but it doesn't help when the hottie that manages the gym jumped on it and it read 14.5% where mine read 40%