BMI, Schmee-Em-I

"A senior at Hanover College in Madison, Ind., Giles Garrison has spent nearly half of his life playing football. When his team’s 2006 season ended late last fall, so did Garrison’s career.

Even so, the former offensive lineman can bench 415 pounds and run the 40-yard dash in 5.2 seconds. Not too shabby, by all accounts, and even Garrison’s friends seem impressed.

“He’s a physical specimen. Just rock solid,” a male friend offers and three others quickly agree.

But according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s calculations, Garrison, 21, is not in shape; he’s obese. Standing just a hair above 6 feet tall and weighing 255 pounds, the young man’s body mass index (BMI) is 34.6." (Click here to read the rest of the article from MSN.com)

Okay, I know that I am overweight, but I don't think I need to be under 165 pounds, as the BMI suggests. I was once under 175, I was so small, friends and family will tell you that I looked like a cancer patient. Part of that my have been not eating right (or not eating enough...college). But I know that is just too small for my body.

So how do you figure out what you should weigh? Well, don't think about it that way. There's two numbers that I have read to look at.

1. Body Fat Percentage - is an estimate of the fraction of the total body mass that is adipose tissue (or referred to as Fat Mass), as opposed to lean body mass (muscle, bone, organ tissue, blood, and everything else) or referred to as Fat Free Mass.

According to Wikipedia, "The percentage for women is greater than that for men, due to the demands of childbearing and other hormonal functions." The recommenced percentage for women is 20-21%, but up to 31% is acceptable. The recommended percentage for men is 13-17%, but up to 25% is acceptable.

NOTE: You can get a hand-held unit for under $15 at target. It may not be the best or have all the bells and whistles that more pricier models have, but it will get you started.

2. Waist-to-Hip ratio - is the ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips. It measures the proportion by which fat is distributed around the torso.

According to Wikipedia: "A waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of 0.7 for women and 0.9 for men have been shown to correlate strongly with general health and fertility. Women within the 0.7 range have optimal levels of estrogen and are less susceptible to major diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and ovarian cancers. Men with WHRs around 0.9, similarly, have been shown to be more healthy and fertile with less prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

WHR is a better measure of assessing a person’s risk of heart attack than Body mass index (BMI). If obesity is redefined using WHR instead of BMI, the proportion of people at risk of heart attack worldwide increases threefold."

Personally, I am throwing out the old BMI calculation. Instead of determining a weight goal, I have decided to set a Body Fat Percentage goal of 18%. To see if I'm Healthy, I'm using WHR!