[TEFSADDERFISA]

So, the BBC are asking "Where are you on the global fat scale?" today. It handily points out who you are most like.

(Apparently I'm most like someone from Eritrea, which would make GOOP proud I'm sure. Maybe I'm the right size for her clothing.)

Incidentally they also have a handy chart ranking countries by their average BMI. America is 6th on their chart of average BMI.



I can now use my ranking to shame everyone not as skinny as me. Yeay, etc.

But is BMI not kinda a bit bullshit, or merely a guideline? Surely people can be normally over or under the "healthy" average and still be healthy? No?

Because, like, I know people with less fat on their bodies who are shorter and heavier than I am, because of muscle weight and the like. They are far healthier than I am, but would probably be told they are overweight going by this completely not misleading article.

I actually hate most the "did you know" line which for me is that completely smug line that I screencapped there, but for others it's a total shaming exercise telling them how much more fat would be in the world if everyone was as fat as they obviously must be because of their expert calculations.

[thighikergove]

I got Ethiopia. 20bmi / 93% / 75%
I've always really hated the bmi thing. I remember in high school, I was 105lbs and very active, we all had to line up in gym and get this stupid bmi thing done. Mine came up 18bmi at that time and the teacher looked at me like I had some serious weight issues. Totally humiliating.

[Thigmaswams]

So, the BBC are asking "Where are you on the global fat scale?" today. It handily points out who you are most like.

(Apparently I'm most like someone from Eritrea, which would make GOOP proud I'm sure. Maybe I'm the right size for her clothing.)

Incidentally they also have a handy chart ranking countries by their average BMI. America is 6th on their chart of average BMI.



I can now use my ranking to shame everyone not as skinny as me. Yeay, etc.

But is BMI not kinda a bit bullshit, or merely a guideline? Surely people can be normally over or under the "healthy" average and still be healthy? No?

Because, like, I know people with less fat on their bodies who are shorter and heavier than I am, because of muscle weight and the like. They are far healthier than I am, but would probably be told they are overweight going by this completely not misleading article.

I actually hate most the "did you know" line which for me is that completely smug line that I screencapped there, but for others it's a total shaming exercise telling them how much more fat would be in the world if everyone was as fat as they obviously must be because of their expert calculations.

I don't have time to google, but to get BMI I'm pretty sure you actually have to measure fat, not just weight/height/age. That's why we get our BMI measured because it is supposed to take into account factors like amount of muscle. I don't think the BMI calculator on this website is really accurate at all.

[SkatrySkith]

No, BMI is based on height and weight as far as I'm aware - muscle and fat are not measured, which is why it can be skewed by different body types and different levels of exercise and muscle. And my BMI tends to be quite reflective of where I am in terms of my weight, but it's not always reflective of my quality of diet at the time, though the same must be said of body weight anyway - I will NEVER understand our complete obsession with pounds and kilos, because I'm currently getting a little out of shape and in need of exercise, but my weight is the same as it usually is because fat (which I've gained) weighs less than muscle (which I've lost). Numbers are good general markers, but I'd be deceiving myself if I thought I was "staying in shape" and living healthily because the number on the scale isn't changing much.

Currently I'm a 21 according to this calculator, which makes me average for Cote d'Ivoire. My weight fluctuates based on how many pies I eat, so some days I'm more Djibouti, some days I'm more Brunei. What a quaint way to measure weight! "I'm as skinny as an African. Like a starving African, not some fat warlord or whatever." Barf. It's sort of gross that this has a 'share' option and is all over my Facebook today.

[embefuri]

It gave me BMI 0, Ethiopia before I remembered that you use dots for decimals in other countries.
Apparently I'm really BMI 21, India.

[TEFSADDERFISA]

^ wow, you must have been crazy tall.

In a way, this thing from the BBC is like a new "I am African" for the skinny GOOPs.

I hope they make tshirts. "I am Eritrean" in a size zero please.

[SkatrySkith]

I'm not African by chance. I'm African because I work my ass off every day in the gym and I wouldn't dream of touching instant noodles.

[UriyVlasov]

I don't have time to google, but to get BMI I'm pretty sure you actually have to measure fat, not just weight/height/age.

No, BMI is a tool invented a couple of centuries ago by a statistician to measure differences amongst populations, not individuals. Our modern concerns of fat/muscle ratios were never a part of it. It's a blunt tool at best. I mean, the majority of us don't need our BMI number to know when we're carrying flab and as pointed out, heavily-muscles athletes and so on ie. outliers simply aren't served by the metric at all.

PS. Apparently (using my highly scientific Guess Your Weight method) I'm Bosnian.

[Chito]

I am most like Brazil, apparently! Which is okay by me. And I am Less Fat than 77% of the country, but More Fat than 66% of the ladies in the world.

I got real scared because at first I accidentally put my weight in kg and they were like YOU ARE TREMENDOUSLY FAT.

ETA: BMI is bullshit. My trainer is always ranting about it. It depends on so many things. I have a highish BMI but because I have an hourglass figure and a healthy hip/waist ratio, it doesn't matter as much.

[Thigmaswams]

No, BMI is based on height and weight as far as I'm aware - muscle and fat are not measured, which is why it can be skewed by different body types and different levels of exercise and muscle....

Ohhh nvm then.

[Njxatsbf]

Tanzania, 22 BMI, 83% lower than my age range in the country, 51% lower than my age range in the world. I'm not really sure what this calculator is supposed to prove, though. As others have said, weight can be based on muscle just as much as fat, and why is it by country? Wouldn't the average fluctuate wildly based on the region within a country? Also, the average weight for anywhere has a lot more to do with money and access to food, so... a thin privileged person is wildly different from a thin underprivileged person, no matter where they live.

[TerriLS]

Hi! From Malaysia!

[i6mbwwdh]

23. I'm apparently the porker of the thread

[Chito]

I was 25. I WIN.

[Emunsesoxmete]

-lol- I got all you bitches beat. My fatass is Samoan! 32 baby!

[lrUyiva1]

That thing called me obese! Hahahaha!

[mralabama]

That thing called me obese! Hahahaha!

Me too! I was almost offended until I realized that I don't shop in the "big ladies" department AND I have a nice-sized rack. I'm clearly overweight, but obese?? I demand a recount.

[12Dvop4I]

well i already know I'm obese (47 bmi, like whoa!), but according to that site, I ought to be from Tonga.

[G778G9P0]

Moldova!

WTF is that.

Oh! Next to Romania. It must be where all the overweight vampires go.

I do check my BMI but I don't take it too seriously, just another indicator.

[MightyMasc]

Micronesia?... 33 BMI *bes obese*