X-Message-Number: 24550 Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2004 13:05:05 -0400 From: Henry R Hirsch <> Subject: BMI as a measure of obesity BMI is widely accepted as a measure of obesity, but, it seems to me that it omits one very important variable. How can you calculate an appropriate body mass if you take into account a person's height but not his or her "build"? One of my friends weighed 200 lb and was 5' 6" tall, yet he did not have an ounce of fat on him. Another, also 5' 6" tall, was a delicately built Chinese lady who weighed less than 100 lb. Why should we expect two people with such different bony structures to weigh the same? Why do so many scientific studies use high BMI as a sign of obesity? What does it have to do with caloric restriction or longevity? Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=24550