Ask HN: Are you overweight? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Are you overweight?

8 pointshalotrope29 comments

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/

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.

> 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.)

It is a useful metric, but it was never intended to be used for assessing individuals. It's intended use is as a metric for populations of people. It works very well for that.

It's pretty useful for individuals so long as you make adjustments for people who exercise every day (ie, very few people) or people over about 6'5" (again, not many people) and very obese people (where it tends to under-estimate obesity).

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

4% body fat is fatal really fast, isn't it?

Highly unlikely that you are at 4%; is my understanding that you can be at 4% BF for a short period of time:

http://cdn.builtlean.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/body-fat...

Yeah not sure how accurate the calipers are, I pay more attention to if it's going up/down than the absolute value.

No. I'm undertall

No, in actually good shape. Lift 3 times a week, have a 6-pack.

A bit. Let myself slip recently with the lack of lifting and the boozing.

I used to be. Not anymore.

What did you do about it?

My BMI is 29. So, unfortunately, my answer is yes.

No, normal weight, healthy and exercise often.

I'm the right size for a boy my age.

No, normal weight, healthy

No, I'm fluffy.

Rather underweight

Nope.

But is HN itself overweight?

No, I am ripped

Underweight

Yes, a lot

Yes

Is this just Karma whoring?

No. I wanted to make a poll but I don't have enough karma :)

yes

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