YSK that there's a better index than the BMI to measure obesity called the Body Roundness Index

BMI is the best measure we have for statistical purposes (i.e., a population) because it's been around for 50(?) years and is what is often used in studies, so you can compare one study to another using BMI.

It's also not terrible for a population because it averages out. But for an individual it is definitely not a good measure because there are way too many other variables that matter.

This is the ideal male body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like.

Here's an online calculator

https://webfce.com/bri-calculator/

Can't tell you how disappointed I am that isn't just a chart of increasingly tubby kittens.

Replacing BMI with BMI2 is fine, but it’s doesn’t change the fact that most Americans are overweight or obese, and the tiny, tiny sliver of people who have a high BMI from weightlifting are insignificant relative to the ~70% that are just plain fat

Waist to height is the only proven metric. And the problem with BMI is not that it is overestimating fat, it's that it's underestimating fat because it completely misses skinny-fat people, and the number of those is much higher than the number of jacked overweight not fat athletes.

Add to this the complicating factor that it's really torso fat that is metabolically active and dangerous to your health.

Waist should be less than half your height, you don't even need a measuring tape. Get someone to cut a string as long as you are tall, and see if it can go around your waist twice, with at least some extra length. If so, you are good, probably don't have too much torso fat.

ETA I don't understand why they need that complicated formula, why not just a ratio? The only inputs are waist and height. Never understood the point of squaring height to get BMI either, it's also just a mass to height comparison, why not a simple ratio?

Interesting. Found a calculator and according to this I'm "very lean" (only just) while I'm overweight (again, only just) using BMI.

Judging by the belly fat I can pinch, I'm gonna trust the BMI

It is one of the most widely used health metrics but also one of the most reviled, because it is used to label people overweight, obese or extremely obese.

That's like blaming the ruler for labeling you too short or too tall... Can't we just use the tool for rough assessment, while being aware of its limitations, and be happy about it?

Seems like a good idea. Whenever I'm actively bodybuilding, my BMI is always shown as obese, and my weight shown as overweight, despite the fact that I'm 12% body fat. It's annoying, especially if it has an impact on things like insurance costs.

For all the time I've been told how bad BMI is, and how it classes top athletes as obese, I can't help but notice how few of those people have the body of a top athlete.

Well, it turns out they both tell me I'm a little too fat.

I am a sphere.

BMI is not a medical metric. Here is an article explaining that. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-02/the-problem-with-the-body-mass-index-bmi/100728416

Will this donut help me pass the body roundness test?

Now tell the doctors because as recently as this year one that I went to was talking about BMI.

A calculator for RFM

At 198cm (6'6") and 111kg (245lbs) BMI states that I'm on the high end of "overweight". My waist is 96cm (38"), which makes my RFM "average". I like that better.

this seems silly because everyone has different fat distribution. two people of the same height and weight would get different results if one of them has most of their fat concentrated in their midsection and the other in their legs.

Paywall.