Where are you on the global fat scale?
November 25 2014 by Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, MD![Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, MD]()
in The obesity epidemic
in The obesity epidemic 
The obesity epidemic is spreading all over the world. Below is a test, where you can compare your weight and BMI to those of people in other countries:
BBC News – Where are you on the global fat scale?
I was at the Malaysian level when it comes to BMI, however not when it comes to height. How did you score?
More
Developing World Reaches a Billion Overweight People – Time for a Change?
I dunno if thats good. Lol
Same BMI as Andreas but I am a bit (shuddup) older... :(
The principal problem is that BMI utterly fails to distinguish muscle mass and fat mass. It's a misleading metric in the class that includes TC, TSH and PSA (almost meaningless unless at extreme values, and for which much more meaningful measures exist but are rarely provided).
BMI becomes a real hazard when employers, insurers, healthcare providers, regulators (and politicians generally), make rewards, guidelines, rules, judgements and punishments based on what is in fact a
Baloney Metabolic Indicator
Stop taking it seriously.
Seriously.
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.00...
"BMI characterized 26% of the subjects as obese, while DXA indicated that 64% of them were obese"
I use to be on the BMI hate bandwagon until I looked at the data. It is not great but it is a simple tool to give general outlines. It is wrong for healthcare to use it as the main number for rewards etc.
BMI is just one way of looking at the data. There's nothing wrong with using the BMI as a rubric as long the person utilizing the data understand it's a relation between height and body-mass. The reason why BMI so widely used is because it's the most cost-effective and least invasive of all the measurements. Its main application is for statistical nation-wide studies.
So, if one thinks something is off about their own BMI, then it is time to resort to other methodology for more accurate findings.
Fat percentage (via caliper): 8%
According to the BMI I am almost overweight.
According to my fat percentage I am an athlete.
BMI is BS.
If I can see my abdominal muscles in the mirror before my shower, all is well, eat to appetite. If I've lost abdominal definition, I cut back a little on my usual food portions until my BMI has been restored. I haven't used a weigh scale in over two years.
Humans are three dimensional. So it is more than height.
Height: 170 (meters).
Weight: 64 (kilograms). Thin but quite muscular. I don't look like a skeleton at all...
Country: France.
Results of the test:
Obesity index: 0 bmi.
BELOW AVERAGE (hum...)
You have a lower BMI than 100% of males aged 15-29 in your country [this sounds very surprising].
You have a lower BMI than 100% of males aged 15-29 in the world [but I really look NOTHING like a skeleton!!!].
If everyone in the world had the same BMI as you, it would remove 286,990,601 tonnes fromthe total weight of the world's population.
You're most like someone from DR Congo* [Be serious, Please...]
Joachim (on low-carb dieting since... a very long time.)
I worked with a dwarf who had a BMI that showed he was morbidly obese, which was not the case. Interestingly, his head was bigger than my size 8 head, which is big and makes it hard to find hats that fit.
BTW, my BMI is 25 and I'm happily overweight at age 64.
In the studies that show that overweight people fare better than very thin people, researchers are comparing numbers only. A thin elderly person could very well be thin because he was a chain smoker with lung cancer and severe muscle wasting. Thus a very short life expectancy.
As people lose fat mass on LCHF and, should they exercise a minimum, will also gain muscle, their BMI may in fact either not change (but the disease risk would decrease) or even increase because muscle is much more dense than adipose tissue.
On a personal note, I used to have an obese BMI. I lost a little adipose mass and I now have an overweight BMI of 28, mainly muscle mass. BMI may correlate somewhat to adipose mass in a sedentary non active population eating a SAD diet. It has no correlation whatsoever with adipose mass in athletes, firemen, policemen, military personnel and, should I add, people eating a LCHF diet.
I don't follow my adipose percent with a scale: I use a tape measure. The abdominal circumference, which correlates with the dangerous intra-abdominal fat (except in one population, the very physically active sumo wrestlers). In these wrestlers, physical activity prevents intra-abdominal fat accumulation. This protection disappears as soon as they retire and stop being physically active and they often die at a very early age.
My abdominal circumference tells me that I have no adipose problem. I'll stick to the tape measurement and forget the scale. And the Baloney Mass Index.
Probably above global average :-)
Sarcasm never does.
As I recall from the early days, it was the internet's first victim.
I'm sure you're not talking about the donut ladden US policemen.
My HDL is 58, LDL 298 and Triglycerides 130. Do you think I should back off on some of my fats (cream and butter) and switch to coconut oil?
What is your age and what is your height? Just from your post, it sounds as if you were "skinny fat", where your weight was not excessively high, however, your body fat % was high.
For all age groups, you should look to add in some resistance (weight training) to help build/maintain muscle mass, and to increase bone density and strength.
Basic leg strengthening can be achieved by doing "air squats"...google it and you'll see plenty of examples. Walking at a fast enough pace where conversation is difficult will also build leg strength. I would not back off of the fats, just look to increase you level of strengthening activity....slowly.
While cycling is good, it is only so-so for hip issues, as a poorly fitted bike will only make hip problems worse.
I am 5'9" (175cm) and am 60 years old. Thank you for the information--it's very helpful. I checked-out air squats on google, so will start doing those. I have a stationary bike, so will begin using it again, but will pass on the dog for now.
Do you think I need to worry about my high LDL?
Your LDL is high, but your HDL is higher then my own.
In our age one have to have something to worry about.. you are not obese in any case, thats one less!
You know LDL is a verry bad measure for anything.. if you realy like to know, take a APOb/APOa1 or a NMR!
Becuse LDL can be small and atherogenic or big and boyant!
And then when you know.. there are litle you can do about it.. except trying to ad a healtyer life style.. what that could be in your case!
I think NMR is only in america.. and I think it says more.. like if LDL is big or small.. but its still a number game!
So if one know ones LDL level and know they are mostly small, then one can predict that they are many.. its still a number game!
Then when one know that.. one need to know the other risk factors.. like HDL levels, if one have high HDL and high LDL, the risk of LDL declines.
And on top of that, high blood presure, high A1c, central obesety.. then you have a lot more that say if you are at risk.
And then.. why is it a number game.. its becuse its about statistics.. those whit all or some of those risk factors have a higher risk for cardiovaskular diseases/happenings.
Soo, if LDL is small, its not that good, but its still a number game!
You can now take a leave for the coming working days becuse I provide reading for you for at least 5 days!
Heres the easy to understand start;
http://www.docsopinion.com/2015/01/18/cholesterol-and-heart-disease-a...
Hers a seminar.. altso easy to understand.. and its only 1,5 hour to listen!
He explain a lot on different apolipoproteis, he is a bit technical.. hes an enginer, i like that, im altso a technician!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuj6nxCDBZ0
And here you get the hevy stuff.. Dr Attia goes through it like a scientist!
http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-p...
I'm similar to someone from Micronesia.
I'm 226 lbs yet I don't look overweight. And my belly fat has been shrinking since I reduced my carbs
To all those muscle-bound bros dissing BMI, bear in mind that, taken in the context of the animal kingdom, we fair poorly in raw strength and sprint speed but are actually pretty decent endurance athletes designed for persistence hunting and a nomadic lifestyle, ...so being a 22 - 24 BMI athlete is far more likely to play to our natural strengths, ..and is indeed far more typical of an Olympian outside of pure strength disciplines.