As if turning 40, and the associated mid-life crisis wasn’t enough, I then received a piece of mail that I really could have done without! 

It started with (and I’m paraphrasing here)

Hey man,

You’re now considered old, so you need to have a check-up to see

A) how long you have left

B) what your many ailments are…

Kind regards

Your Doctor

Needless to say at the very least it was a kick in the teeth, scratch that, it was more like a kick in the balls. 

I booked the appointment, booked the day off work so that I wasn’t rushing to get there and then on the day it gets cancelled! 

Cue some more waiting.

Then the new date comes around and I sit in that sanitary waiting room, alone and waiting for it to just be over. 

Impending was the fact that I knew I would need to be weighed and I knew how heavy I am and I knew the ball park that my BMI was in, and I knew what would follow…

My name was called, height confirmed as two inches shorter than I once was ( and let’s face it every inch counts!) and then I jumped on the scales. The numbers appeared to spin around like a slot machine before settling on a number that was 2kg more than I had being weighing in at, in the gym. I was wearing jeans and a hoodie so I thought that was probably part of it.

Up popped the BMI calculator and the figures delicately typed in. Yup, as expected the jackpot hit and I had a toe dipped in the “OBESE” category.

The nurse conducting to health check was very kind, suggested losing some weight would be beneficial, smaller portion sizes, a balanced diet, less carbs, regular exercise etc. but I couldn’t help but think… “but I’m not obese”. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a specimen of lean muscle mass, but I would say that I am in good shape. I want to lead a long and healthy life, and I enjoy exercise but I also need to fuel myself, so what does categorising me as obese really achieve? 

BMI is a gauge of health and it’s not the most accurate type of measure, because it doesn’t factor in muscle mass as part of the equation. Yes it is useful as a basic gauge, it is there to help signpost us to leading a healthier life and there is no doubt that it therefore can help us to do that. However, the stigma around obesity is palpable and therefore is it useful to categorise people in this way? Could the suggestions associated with a BMI of 30 be how we categorise them

Instead of an associative word that can feel hurtful and inaccurate? 

Later in my health check I was asked to detail my exercise. And yes the nurse did look a bit uncomfortable about the fact she had suggested doing a bit of light exercise each day! 

I am the type of person who takes this all very seriously and there is certainly more I could be doing to prioritise my health. As an ex-smoker I need to try to undo the damage that smoking did to my life, and I need to manage stress better. I will be ensuring I do some cardio every week, and doing what I can to limit bad food habits. We all have things to learn. 

I just wonder if there is a better system for health checking, we have come a long way within medicine and the BMI index has been in use since 1972. It is pretty much regarded as inaccurate, so why haven’t we moved on from it? 

So whilst the question is BMI – Why, oh Why?! 

I don’t have the medical training to suggest an alternative so I guess, for the meantime, we are stuck with it whether we like it or not! 

TIB