<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: steer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">if you were pure muscle at your BMI height/weight, you wouldn't look like a stick.. people just think they'd look like a stick, because you imagine a skinny version...

just think Spartan Soldier body.. that's what BMI really is..</div></div>


That is taking for granted that everyone works out and builds the muscle to make that body. That kind of muscle bulk doesn't just come because you lose fat you have to make it, and most people don't want to do that they just want to shed the extra pounds. And getting to the ideal weight would make them look like a stick. You are using body building numbers for BMI, 2-4% body fat is not an ideal standard for the general population.


For adults, an ideal BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. A person with a BMI over 24.9 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI under 18.5 is considered underweight.

The BMI score is valid for both men and women but it does have some limits. When BMI is used to calculate body fatness:

It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build
It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.

Therefore, it is possible for a person to be completely healthy but have an "unhealthy BMI." This is why healthcare providers consider other factors besides BMI when assessing the health risk for certain medical conditions.