Ask HN: Are you overweight? • Hacker News Board

Well that certainly depends on your particular interpretation of the widely overloaded term "overweight." No one has ever suggested that I'm overweight, usually saying I'm thin. But when you look at official BMI recommendations, I am actually on the borderline of being overweight, at the very top of the "normal" range. If everyone was judged against these guidelines, it would probably increase significantly the number of people who are considered overweight.

Re: Ask HN: Are you overweight?

#16

Post by ionised » Fri, Jul 17, 2015, 2:18 PM UTC

_8i2k wrote: post #15

Well that certainly depends on your particular interpretation of the widely overloaded term "overweight." No one has ever suggested that I'm overweight, usually saying I'm thin. But when you look at official BMI recommendations, I am actually on the borderline of being overweight, at the very top of the "normal" range. If everyone was judged against these guidelines, it would probably increase significantly the numbe…

> Well that certainly depends on your particular interpretation of the widely overloaded term "overweight."

Yup. The problem with the BMI is it doesn't take into account the variety of lifestyles people have.

For example, a lifter is going to weigh a lot more than the average person simply by increased muscle mass and would probably be considered overweight or even obese by BMI standards.

Re: Ask HN: Are you overweight?

#17

Post by blubbi2 » Fri, Jul 17, 2015, 2:45 PM UTC

Underweight

Re: Ask HN: Are you overweight?

#18

Post by ollysb » Fri, Jul 17, 2015, 3:03 PM UTC

ionised wrote: post #16

_8i2k wrote: post #15

Well that certainly depends on your particular interpretation of the widely overloaded term "overweight." No one has ever suggested that I'm overweight, usually saying I'm thin. But when you look at official BMI recommendations, I am actually on the borderline of being overweight, at the very top of the "normal" range. If everyone was judged against these guidelines, it would probably increase significantly the numbe…

> Well that certainly depends on your particular interpretation of the widely overloaded term "overweight." Yup. The problem with the BMI is it doesn't take into account the variety of lifestyles people have. For example, a lifter is going to weigh a lot more than the average person simply by increased muscle mass and would probably be considered overweight or even obese by BMI standards.

Yeah, BMI should be retired as a useful metric, percentage body fat is far more useful. The problem though is measuring this accurately... (the scales that include the body fat percentage give wildly different numbers depending on time of day, water consumption etc.)

Re: Ask HN: Are you overweight?

#19

Post by ollysb » Fri, Jul 17, 2015, 3:07 PM UTC

It's taken a fair amount of work this year but my BMI is 21. I follow the starting strength program (bar bell lifts 3 times a week), 1 hour cardio 5-6 times a week and the seven minute workout[1] 6 afternoons a week.

[1] http://7-min.com/

Re: Ask HN: Are you overweight?

#20

Post by jgroszko » Fri, Jul 17, 2015, 3:13 PM UTC

ionised wrote: post #16

_8i2k wrote: post #15

Well that certainly depends on your particular interpretation of the widely overloaded term "overweight." No one has ever suggested that I'm overweight, usually saying I'm thin. But when you look at official BMI recommendations, I am actually on the borderline of being overweight, at the very top of the "normal" range. If everyone was judged against these guidelines, it would probably increase significantly the numbe…

> Well that certainly depends on your particular interpretation of the widely overloaded term "overweight." Yup. The problem with the BMI is it doesn't take into account the variety of lifestyles people have. For example, a lifter is going to weigh a lot more than the average person simply by increased muscle mass and would probably be considered overweight or even obese by BMI standards.

As a lifter with a BMI of 26, it's not a very useful metric. Last time I measured my BF% with calipers it was around 9%...

Edit: Okay checked my spreadsheet, I misremembered. Honestly I don't track it that closely