Is BMI bogus?

One of the keys to getting faster is to lose some weight. To look at me you wouldn’t think that I’m overweight. I don’t think so either. However, when my numbers are run through the BMI calculator it tells me different. How can a 3-4 times a year marathon runner be overweight? My conclusion, there must be something screwy about the BMI.

Then I see this article about BMI that confirms my suspicions. They say the key problem is that the system doesn’t take body composition into account. Someone who is fat might weigh the same as someone who is fit. But BMI would put them in the same category. The researchers found that people who have a BMI that is “overweight” actually had less heart disease than people with a “normal” BMI. I guess it pays to be pudgy.

According to the article measuring your waist is a better way to go. For women you’re fine if your waist is less than 35 in (88cm) and for men it’s less than 40 in (102 cm).

Of course for a marathon joggler weight still matters. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the two fastest marathon jogglers in the world are 20 to 30 pounds lighter than me. If you’re like me and you want to get faster, losing weight will do wonders.