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chad55
08-25-2010, 01:14 PM
Just got new health insurance was going over some things they needed .They wanted me to put in my BMI which i never did before ,so i put it in 6'0 243 lbs. and it came back 33.0 on this scale they use for the average people in the U.S ,it said that i am obese! I said. "dam i am tryin to get back in shape like i use to be but this thing can't be right. " So then i put in 6'0 172 lbs to see what comes up and it says 22.3 on the scale. I Read the chart and it is a normal person. So someone who knows about this system explain how they think a person that is tall and skinny is normal and a person who works out 6 days a week and is in pretty good shape is obese to this system......Please some input please........

saudades
08-25-2010, 02:12 PM
BMI is never a good indicator for bodybuilders because it doesn't say anything about activity level or real body fat levels. Even I will come up as near obese for my height and weight using the BMI, yet I am at 8% bf. Still, I have had both doctors and nurses look straight at me (with me looking the way I do), and tell me that a good diet and exercise program can help. I usually give them back the look of "You're seriously telling ME this?" I hate it that sometimes they just go through the motions, parroting the stuff they think they "learned" in medical school.

For insurance purposes, you have to contest the BMI many times because they'll often make decisions based on that BMI when they really shouldn't. If it's their policy to have it in the system, there isn't much you can do, but like I said, if they make a less than satisfactory decision based on that BMI, you will often have to fight them on it.

MMX2
08-25-2010, 02:56 PM
You have to contest it... I had to do that for insurance last year too and at 5'9" and 250 at that time , I was obese too.
It was funny because the preached a good diet and exercise program to me too and I had to laugh.
I generally don't like docs because they know nothing about bodybuilders and building muscle. Only that its not the norm when you look it up in textbooks...

Presser
08-25-2010, 03:22 PM
Just got new health insurance was going over some things they needed .They wanted me to put in my BMI which i never did before ,so i put it in 6'0 243 lbs. and it came back 33.0 on this scale they use for the average people in the U.S ,it said that i am obese! I said. "dam i am tryin to get back in shape like i use to be but this thing can't be right. " So then i put in 6'0 172 lbs to see what comes up and it says 22.3 on the scale. I Read the chart and it is a normal person. So someone who knows about this system explain how they think a person that is tall and skinny is normal and a person who works out 6 days a week and is in pretty good shape is obese to this system......Please some input please........

WOW thats so fucked up! I always new about the BMI and how it was scaled so someone like us was obese but I never thought that Insurance companys would go by it and potentialy use it against you especialy if your a bodybuilder in great shape. Hell I guess 99% of Professional Athletes would be considered obese cause im sure their muscle weighs them down more then a normal person at the same height. Its crazy!

My question though is why is your insurance company asking you this? Can they cancel your policy due to you showing up as obese or can they Raise your Premiums or use it against you some how?

chad55
08-27-2010, 10:16 PM
No Presser,it is in the all info that the wanted from me when i started this policy this week, but i just thought it was weird that they wanted that info and i hope like you orther guys said about this i hope they dont try to raise my premes. or try to cancel me for this shit like you guys said . Well policy started this week so i will let you know if anything changes in the next couple of weeks i hope not...