Question:
What are the diffeerence between BMI and percentage

At home I have a scale that reads body fat percentage. What is the differance between BMI and percentage. I assume that the end result is the same. Just measuring the body fat is more precise then the BMI guess?    — Richard M. (posted on February 24, 2003)

February 24, 2003
As I understand it, BMI just takes in account weight and height. The body fat percentage, atleast the ones they do at the doctors or gyms, etc. takes in your weight and clips those things to your body. This is actually measuring lean muscle and fat. SO one person who has a BMI of 35, can have 40% body fat (high teens and low 20's is a "good" percentage- depending on each person) whereas a different person can have the same BMI, and only have 30% body fat, b/c he works out alot and has alot more muscle. Your BMI can put you in the overweight category, when in fact you aren't at all, just have alot of muscle tone, so that is why BMI is less precise. Hope you understood that! lol
   — Lezlie Y.

February 24, 2003
I get such a "hoot" out of the BMI versus the body fat percentage. I am overweight by all of the charts; however, my body fat is 21.2%. This puts me in the atheletic range! I workout 5-6 days a week, cardio and free weight lifting. I am 5 feet 8 inches and I weigh in around 182. Go figure! Just one note, I probably have 10-20 pounds of skin that must go on my legs and bottom end! Good luck.
   — sheron H.

February 25, 2003
I've tested my body fat percent and I have ***140 pounds of lean tissue, muscle, etc.***, 100 pounds of fat and I am 40.1% fat right now. I'm a woman and I'm 5'9." My ideal weight based on a body fat percent of 22% (normal healthy) is 183. So I've made that my goal weight. Well according to BMI, 183 is a BMI of 27, which is considered overweight. But how can a person with 22% body fat be overweight. Get my point? BMI is the least descriptive of the two, but easier to use. BMI doesn't take into account people with more muscle than average.
   — M. B.