If you’ve ever used a trainer, researched state of the art diet plans or even looked into getting a life insurance policy, you are probably familiar with the acronym “BMI” and for what it stands. For those who haven’t come across the term BMI, it stands for Body Mass Index and it is used to get a general picture of health of a person by comparing that particular person’s height and weight.

The World Health Organization (just about every other organization in the US that relies on such calculations) has adopted the BMI as the general formula for calculating obesity rates without actually “looking at people” or taking caliper tests of each individual. The BMI is calculated by multiplying your weight in pounds by 703 then dividing that number by the square of your height in inches. This looks like:

BMI = (weight in pounds x 703)
               height in inches²

The scale to measure “fitness” according to the BMI formula is below:

Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

This is (roughly) accurate for the masses and saves on hours and hours of poring over data to find a more tailored opinion of someone’s health. The problem I have with this BMI formula, however, is that it breaks down when using it to determine obesity when measuring weight lifters and athletes.

According to the BMI calculations, all of our Mr. Olympia contenders and many pro athletes are “obese”. Here are a few examples:

Ladanian Tomlinson: 5’10” and 221 lbs., BMI= 31.7 (obese)
Labron James: 6’5” and 250 lbs., BMI= 29.6 (nearly obese)
Manny Ramirez: 6’ and 210 lbs., BMI= 28.5 (nearly obese)
Jay Cutler (Mr. Olympia): 5’9” and 275 lbs., BMI= 40.6 (grossly obese)
Arnold Schwarzenegger (as Mr. Olympia): 6’2” and 245 lbs., BMI= 31.5 (obese)

No one can argue that these men are out of shape, let alone obese. You might be thinking, “Come on. These guys aren’t your average guys” and I would agree with you. But I would also challenge you to talk to some of your friends at the gym. I guarantee you that they are not within the “healthy” weight range that the BMI and WHO recommend. I believe that these athletes and those at your gym are healthier than those who invented the BMI formula and this needs to be revised to be a universal calculation for obesity that truly accounts for different body types. Muscle naturally weighs more than fat and we simply cannot rely on the affect that gravity has on someone to be the biggest factor of health. We are much more advanced than this.