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