I posted this on another blog as a comment, but after thinking about it, I think this is important ernough to share as a post. As I don’t have much time to post I will be brief. The B.M.I. measurment is practically junk. It doesn’t take into account you body type and build- a muscular person of short height can have the same BMI as a couch potatoe. So I give you this easy measurement, the waist to hip ratio. All you need is a measuring tape.
A very brief explanation.
The weight we carry around our center is the MOST dangerous kind of extra weight.
“Researchers reported in Friday’s issue of The Lancet medical journal that a hip-to-waist ratio is a better predictor of the risk of heart attack for a variety of ethnic groups than body-mass index, the current standard.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9913508/
How to take the measurement
“To determine if you have a healthy waist to hip ratio, use a measuring tape to measure the circumference of your hips at the widest part of your buttocks. Then measure your waist at the smaller circumference of your natural waist, usually just above the belly button.”
http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/waist_hip.asp
Here’s the web address for a waist to hip calculator (the above address works too).
TotalTransformationTest 
whoa, ya can’t even give a sister a little link?
just teasing, i did update that post…
You’re right, my friend, about the BMI measurement, but not just that: in general, these measurement techniques are approximations at best and should not be regarded as exact. Not that you’re unaware of all that.
But the antisocialist is really writing to ask: how are you? No recrudescence of the shingles, I hope.
Best of all possible regards.
Oh, my bad Kris. I’ll update with the link.
Looks like I should be okay anti. Although now I have to figure out why I got like three canker sores in my mouth. One on the EXACT spot where I bit my tongue and two on my lip. My mouth feels like death and I’ve been spraying Cloraseptic in it about every ten or so minutes.
My employer charges us for our insurance if our bmi is not in the optimum range. It does seem ridiculous.
Kristee 🙂
I just finished watching The Biggest Loser!…great show:)
“My employer charges us for our insurance if our bmi is not in the optimum range”
Wow, that is wild. My B.M.I. will never be ideal though, since I expect to pack on a bit of muscle by the time this is all over.
I am working hard now to trim off the fat and get down to 159. But after that I want to start bulking up to about 170- but this time all muscle.
With people having such different body types and bone structures I’m always leery of rigid formulas. Thanks for the clarity.
Me too Neil. While H:W ratio is a much better indicator of heart health, it still isn’t perfect. I prefer to look at much less tangible indicators like: How often do you get sick? Do you have enough energy to keep up with your kids and/or make it through the day?
But the objective standards like H:W, one mile run pace, one-legged squats, etc. are good too.
BTW I upped my chin-ups from 6 last week to 8 this week. My goal is 12. That is one reason objective goals are good, they give you something to shoot for. So by all means combine both kinds of measurements (subjective and objective) and employ them both in your fitness arsenal.
Great! I always thought that the BMI could not be an axact science for every body type!
And I will metion this in my DVD I plan to release later this year.
Thank you once again.