The FastDay Forum

I have always been shocked that in order to be a healthy BMI I had to be around 119 pounds, which is insane to me. I haven't been that weight since I was about 12 and I was pretty healthy until after college. I was talking with my Mother-in-law who is a nurse and she tells me "that's because you have a large frame" so I looked it up and low and behold I have a large frame! Some indicators are: when I wrap my fingers around my wrist they don't touch, I have always wore a large ring size, wide shoes, and most ladies hats are too small on my head. Here is some info on adjusting BMI if you are a large frame:

Determining Your Frame Size

6 Use the tape measure to measure your wrist in inches.
7 Assess your frame size according to the following chart:

WOMEN
Under 5'2" -- Large frame means a wrist size over 5.75"
5'2"-5'5" -- Large frame means a wrist size over 6.25"
5'5" or greater -- Large frame means a wrist size over 6.5"

MEN:
over 5'5" -- Large frame means a wrist size over 7.5"

8 If you have determined that you have a large frame, add 10 percent. This means that the healthy BMI for a person with a large frame is roughly 23-25.


Read more: How to Calculate Accurate BMI for Large Frame | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5591155_calcula ... z2ScU7vgUn

I found these calculated BMI for large scale on another site: And here are the calculated True-to-Scale Large Frame BMI numbers:
BMI Below 20.35 = Underweight; BMI 20.35 to 27.39 = Normal; BMI 27.39 to 32.89 = Overweight; BMI 32.89 and above = Obese

According to that I am overweight and not obese! I like the sound of that. And a goal weight of 145 would be healthy, which sounds much more realistic than 119 for me.

That is interesting but I can't help but thinking:
If a person is obese or overweight, it won't be easy for them to touch their fingers if they wrap their wrist anyway. And they would wear wide shoes, wouldn't they? And wear large rings because their fingers would be fat.I mean, someone must be in a reasonable weight before doing all these tests.

I used the wrist measurement because it seems to be the most accurate way to measure it, and mine is 6.5 inches and I am 5 foot 2 inches tall, which indicates a large frame (though I didn't doubt it for a minute for the other reasons I have listed).

Hi Blu

You prompted me to look at this - from the opposite situation - I have a very small frame size... ring size H, wrist measurement around 5.5 - 5.75 inches and height 5' 3 ish... (I always used to think I was 5'4 but the nurse at my GP reckoned 5'3 a couple of years back )

so, armed with this, I've looked at BMI charts and it's fair to say the resulting recommendations for 19 - 21 are far more in line with my own target - the weight I have been in the past and would like to get back to

The only thing I have yet to get to grips with is the theory that as you age you should be heavier.... I'll wait and see as I get nearer to target and decide whether to go to the lower end of BMI or not.... since I am nearly 10 years older than the last time I was at target weight, in theory, I should be 6 lbs above that .... I have 5 lbs to get to that point and 11 to get to target.... I shall watch with interest over the coming weeks to see if my target is atttainable, and if it is too low or not....

I used the wrist measurement because it seems to be the most accurate way to measure it, and mine is 6.5 inches and I am 5 foot 2 inches tall, which indicates a large frame (though I didn't doubt it for a minute for the other reasons I have listed).

Don't get me wrong, perhaps you indeed have a large frame. Still, I think that anybody who is overweight by a significant number of kilos or obese will probably fall into the categories you mention, without necessarily having a large frame...

Not sure about this -i'm 5ft 8 and my wrist size is 6 inches and i have skinny fingers but I also have big wide feet broad shoulders and hips. Not sure what frame that makes me but if I was to weigh the same as Mimi Spencer who is the same height I would literally be a bag of bones!

All interesting stuff and I have commented previously that I felt that skeleton size between two people of the same height must have a bearing on these things. I am 5'5" with a wrist size 5.5", shoe size 4, ring size I so my BMI and overall weight would be vastly different to a woman of the same height but with much larger measurements, or did I just state the obvious?

Ballerina x

well, being overweight or obese doesn't necessarily equate to wide shoes. My feet were very wide even when I was pretty thin. I also have a friend who is underweight who wears a wide width in shoes.

I do agree about the rings though.

However the new indicator would put my healthy weight at between 127 and 170 pounds. My target is 165lbs. I weighed between 155 and 165 through high school and was quite thin, no possible way I would not look ill below 165 now that I am in my 50's.

Ballerina, here in Greece, the paediatricians tend to tell the parents whether their children have a heavy or light skeleton in order for them to know their proper weight.

DeMuralist, I guess that shoes might not be an indicator bur rings and wrists must be. Having said that, if you lived here, you'de have to go to the XL shops to find shoes with wide fit.

[carorees]

It makes sense to me! I have a large frame and the healthy BMI for my height coincides with what I used to weigh in my youth.

DeMuralist, I guess that shoes might not be an indicator bur rings and wrists must be. Having said that, if you lived here, you'de have to go to the XL shops to find shoes with wide fit.

yep, my rings definitely got tighter, and watch bands too. But I think if we are honest with ourselves we can probably figure out if we are really "big-boned" or large framed without using charts.

Here in the US, you just have to get lucky to find wide shoes.

I think that's why a healthy BMI has a range of values. I have a large frame so i would only ever aim for a BMI of 25 or slightly below that. If i was to reach a weight that coincides with a BMI of 20 I'd look like death. Scarily though i need to drop 10 BMI points to become healthy

My rings come and go depending on water retention.

Well, one more thing to thank UK shoe shops. Wide fit!!!

I have had wide feet all my life and have a horrible time finding shoes to fit me well. If I want to get myself into a really bad mood, all I need to do is go shoe shopping! I buy shoes online now. Thank goodness for Zappos.com.

My wrist is 15.5cms so that makes me not large, and I know I look better with a BMI of 20 than 23 (when I look fat). So I think frame size is important too. I have a real problem with wearing strappy sandals because my feet are so thin. Fortunately we don't get a lot of hot weather in Brittany and I wear boots most of the year!