What’s the point of knowing a person’s body mass index, or BMI? A recent report by WCVB in Boston proves that there really isn’t one. After a woman from Amesbury, Mass. was denied health insurance coverage on a knee operation because her BMI is 33, WCVB shed some perspective on what is considered “obese” on the BMI scale.
It turns out two of their local heroes, Tom Brady and Paul Pierce, are easily overweight and nearly obese. A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight while 30.0+ is considered obese. Brady’s BMI is 27.4 and Pierce’s is 26.5. Apparently they’re a couple of fatties.
Of course there are exceptions, and athletes who pack on the pounds and build muscle for a living are certainly some of them. BMI is essentially a ratio of height-to-weight, so it’s understandable that athletes would tread the line between average and overweight. The point is the BMI scale is completely ridiculous — especially if it’s being used as a deciding factor in insurance coverage. Are Tom Brady and Paul Pierce obese? If the answer is “yes” or anything close to “yes,” sign me up for a weight-gaining class.
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