BMI is bullshit!

I think it's absolutly ridiculous that the government is using the BMI (body mass index) as an indication of health. Supposedly a bmi between 18.5 and 24.9 is supposed to be the optimum. Bmi is weight in kilos divided by hight in meters^2. Sure it works well for someone of average build and average muscle density. It doesn't even take in to account age and completely falls apart with people who fall outside normal hight ranges because it uses hight^2 rather than hight^3 (the tallest man in the world has a bmi of 30 and looks skinnier than me). This is a list of athletes who won gold in the Olimpics and their bmi, according to bmi results they are all obese.

Shawn Crawford (USA) Sprinting (200m)
(Overweight: 177cm, 81kg, athlete BMI=26)

Mark Lewis-Francis (GB) Sprinting (100m Relay)
(Overweight: 183cm, 89kg, athlete BMI=26)

Matthew Pinsent (GB) Rowing (Coxless four)
(Overweight: 196cm, 108kg, athlete BMI=28)

James Cracknell (GB) Rowing (Coxless four)
(Overweight: 192cm, 100kg, athlete BMI=27)

Ed Coode (GB) Rowing (Coxless four)
(Overweight: 193cm, 96kg, athlete BMI=26)

Steve Williams (GB) Rowing (Coxless four)
(Overweight: 189cm, 96kg, athlete BMI=27)

David Cal (Spain) Canoeing (C-1 1000m)
(Overweight: 183cm, 91kg, athlete BMI=27)

Khadjimourat Gatsalov (Russia) Wrestling (84-96kg)
(Overweight: 180cm, 96kg, athlete BMI=30)

Artur Taymazov (Uzebekistan) Wrestling (96-120kg)
(Obese: 189cm, 112kg, athlete BMI=31)

Roman Sebrle (Czechoslovakia) Decathlon
(Overweight: 186cm, 88kg, athlete BMI=25)

Ryan Bayley (Austria) Cycling (Sprint)
(Overweight: 181cm, 84kg, athlete BMI=26)

Odlanier Solis Fonte (Cuba) Boxing (81-91kg)
(Overweight: 180cm, 91kg, athlete BMI=28)

Alexander Povetkin (Russia) Boxing (over 91kg)
(Overweight: 188cm, 91kg, athlete BMI=26)


Ihar Makarau (Belarus) Judo (90-100kg)
(Obese: 180cm, 100kg, athlete BMI=31)


Yuriy Bilonog (Ukraine) Shot put
(Obese: 200cm, 135kg, athlete BMI=34)

The whole thing is pathetic.

Couldnt agree more, sounds like a pretty useless form of measure.