I have been concerned about being fat since I was put on a diet /9based on doctor's advice. In my teen years, I struggled wth bulemia, never detting closer to my 'ideal weight" than 5 lbs over it. In college, a doctor identified the problem. For a small percentage of the population, BMIs don't fit at all. I'm 5'10, and my I-throw-everything-up weight was 179. Turns out my lean body mass weighs quite a bit more than the lowest prescribed weight for my height. That's right--I couldn't be classed as underweight unless I were dead or dying. I'm not alone, and it's a problem. The productive thing to focus on would be exercise and a balanced diet regardless of BMI.

I hear you. I'm 5'9" with a *very* big frame and a tendency to gain muscle mass easily (our family makes jokes about being from "peasant stock"). Not very fashionable for a woman to be, but hey, you play the hand you're dealt.

According to the BMI charts, my ideal weight is about 125-135lbs. Yet my doctor jokingly threatened to kill me herself if I let myself go under 170lbs. Believe me, at 170 I look *very* skinny -- my friends underestimate my weight by 30-40lbs, and they're not trying to flatter me.

I am completely convinced BMI is bunk. There are simply too many exceptions to the rule.