Question:
Does BMI and Weight ALWAYS correlate???

I spoke to a woman who was denied by her insurance because while her BMI was just 40 and she had some mild comords, they didn't think that she was 100 lbs overweight. Is this possible?    — susanje (posted on November 22, 2002)

November 22, 2002
in my mind i would have to say yes, it is possible. dont forget that height is also taken into consideration when calculating bmi. the shorter person could have a bmi of 40 & still not be 100# overweight.
   — sheryl titone

November 22, 2002
Yes, BMI and weight always correlate, since BMI is figured according to weight. What doesn't always add up is the charts that insurance companies use to determine eligibility. Most companies use 35 with severe comorb's or 40 without.
   — Scarlett A.

November 22, 2002
I hate to disagree but BMI done soley on height on weight is a generally good method when you are over weight but there are 200 pound weight lifters who are 5'9" and they have BMIs of 4. So in our case I guess it works pretty well but ALWAYS? no.
   — Carol S.

November 23, 2002
Carol, I believe you are getting BMI and body fat % mixed up. Anyone (male or female) that is 5'9" tall weighing 200 pounds would have a BMI of 29.9, according to this sites calculator. If this person was a male bodybuilder it may be possible to have 4% body fat, but that would be pretty low body fat % for a female, and might not be possible.
   — Ali M