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BMI Is 25. What Is The Optimum Amount Of Fat For A Male?
Posted on
Mon, 19 Aug 2013
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Mon, 19 Aug 2013
Answered on
Fri, 6 Sep 2013
Last reviewed on
Question : Weight is not a great indicator of long term health perspective.
BMI is better but has some gaps, and it seems to be a classic j or u curve.
WHR may be better than BMI, but it can also have some incongruities.
What about body fat? Apart from some of the same J or U issues of the other measurements, what is the optimum amount of fat for a male, 71. I'm currently 22% according toTanita,BMI 25, and waist to hip, assuming I'm measuring correctly.85.
I know these numbers may seem okay, but I'm striving for optimum. Any thoughts?
BMI is better but has some gaps, and it seems to be a classic j or u curve.
WHR may be better than BMI, but it can also have some incongruities.
What about body fat? Apart from some of the same J or U issues of the other measurements, what is the optimum amount of fat for a male, 71. I'm currently 22% according toTanita,BMI 25, and waist to hip, assuming I'm measuring correctly.85.
I know these numbers may seem okay, but I'm striving for optimum. Any thoughts?
Brief Answer:
Hi, BMI is fine, WHR may be a little high.
Detailed Answer:
Hi there, thanks for asking. You have mentioned very accurately about the significance of weight control. If you have regular exercise, even BMI of 26 would be acceptable according to the new findings. WHR would be the best to be lower than 0.8, but due to the changes in fat distribution throughout the ageing, I think your WHR is good. Every body has his own physics, so preoccupation with it can produce anxiety as well. I wish you a good health.
Hi, BMI is fine, WHR may be a little high.
Detailed Answer:
Hi there, thanks for asking. You have mentioned very accurately about the significance of weight control. If you have regular exercise, even BMI of 26 would be acceptable according to the new findings. WHR would be the best to be lower than 0.8, but due to the changes in fat distribution throughout the ageing, I think your WHR is good. Every body has his own physics, so preoccupation with it can produce anxiety as well. I wish you a good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I see that you are a psychiatrist, so I suppose it's natural that you would not discount the possibility that I am obsessing over the issue of fat. Believe me, I am not. However, as I pointed out, BMI and WHR leave much to be desired as measures of current health, or even as projections of future morbidity and mortality -- the exception, perhaps, being the outliers--those who are gaunt, and those who have huge breadbasket bellies.
The question I asked is, what level of body fat is optimum? Or given the limitations of medical knowledge, and the fact that "everybody has their own physics" as you put it, what is a reasonable range of fat that might be considered to fall within the optimum?
The question I asked is, what level of body fat is optimum? Or given the limitations of medical knowledge, and the fact that "everybody has their own physics" as you put it, what is a reasonable range of fat that might be considered to fall within the optimum?
Brief Answer:
Hi, BMI of 25 is definitely good.
Detailed Answer:
Hi there, thanks for asking. it has been mentioned in the textbook that even BMI of 26 is fine if somebody has regular exercise. It means that studies have shown no increase in cardiovascular problems even in the situation that a person has extra fat (up to BMI of 26) while he does regular exercise. WHR is women is better to be less than 0.8, but men have less wide hip so I think your WHR is fine.
Hi, BMI of 25 is definitely good.
Detailed Answer:
Hi there, thanks for asking. it has been mentioned in the textbook that even BMI of 26 is fine if somebody has regular exercise. It means that studies have shown no increase in cardiovascular problems even in the situation that a person has extra fat (up to BMI of 26) while he does regular exercise. WHR is women is better to be less than 0.8, but men have less wide hip so I think your WHR is fine.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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