Why are so many people aiming for a very low BMI?

I have noticed on Calorie Count that many of the forums include posts from people aiming to lose weight for a BMI at the lowest end of the healthy range (18.5 - 20) some of the posts seem to be aiming for a BMI even lower than this. 

If the healthy range is 18.5-24.9, shouldn't people be happy to be somewhere in this range rather than actively aiming for the lowest end of the scale?  I can understand people in this range wanting to increase their fitness (changing their fat/muscle ratio) but I don't think they need to actively try to lose weight.

I understand the average BMI in the USA, the UK and in Australia where I hail from is sadly higher than 25 for both adult men and women.  The push to have a very low BMI is therefore not a result of wanting to look like everyone around us. 

What do you think?

Just because 22 is a healthy BMI doesn't mean it's at or near the point of having a fit physique.

Also, can we please stop using BMI as a measurement for proper weight? I've said this in every BMI thread, but it's not a good measurement to be using to determine any factor of your weight loss.

Original Post by jesscecile86:

According to the chapter about eating disorders in my college "abnormal psychology" textbook, in a study in which pictures of women of all sizes and weights were shown to men (and vice versa), the results were dismaying.  A majority of the men considered the women most attractive whose BMIs were in the low part of the healthy range -- or even below that, dipping into unhealthy numbers. Y

and isnt it exactly the same thing we see when we look around us? come on. as i have said before, in my 30s i think i can see who is attractive to men and whom they want. very rarely it is someone fat, rarely someone overweight, usually those are skinny gals...

Original Post by ibez:

Just because 22 is a healthy BMI doesn't mean it's at or near the point of having a fit physique.

Also, can we please stop using BMI as a measurement for proper weight? I've said this in every BMI thread, but it's not a good measurement to be using to determine any factor of your weight loss.

well it is not useless either. it has been used by doctors for some reason. even my endocrinologist who is a very respected doctor conts BMI of her patients. if it was that useless, she and other health professionals would not do it

BMI is an indicator, INDICATOR, of health. It is not meant to be taken as the be all and end all.

It does not take into account age, ethnicity, muscle mass etc. So for an athlete it would be pretty much obsolete as they would weigh a lot but it would all be muscle.

For a person like me it's a very good indicator, I can imagine I would look scarily thin at a BMI of 16 and far too big at BMI 28.

But overall it's not that you should aim for IMO, it's everything together, weight, BMI, body fat %, measurements and how you look and feel

OP I think people are aiming for low weights because, as has been said above, that's what they see held up as the epitome of beauty.

Thin women are constantly shoved in our faces. Magazine headlines "So and so LOST WEIGHT!!! Is she ANOREXIC???" "OMG she's put it all back on again what A FAT PIG!!!" You can't get away from it

sure. it is one of the best idicatiors out there and it is common knowledge that for example body builders cannot use it as they muscle percentage is different. for a regular person it is a pretty good indicator used widely ad a part of general assesment of ones health(y weight). after all, the range the BMI offers (ie the range of healthy weight) is pretty wide.

For my height/frame the higher end of the BMI is heavy for me. The lower end is ideal for some but not all. I agree it should never be used as the end all be all and is not an accurate measurement for everyone.

The media unfortunately pushes the idea that "thinner is better". They say the average woman is size 14-16 and average TV star is a size 2...no wonder so many aim for the lesser end of the BMI amongst having other issues.

Simply put, because they want to!

It's not really for anyone else to judge what a person's goals are.  I haven't really noticed this trend on CC as I pay no attention to BMI.  BMI as we all know should only be used as a guide.  We should be more concerned with visceral fat rather than a height/weight ratio chart.

Simply put, because they want to!

It's not really for anyone else to judge what a person's goals are.  I haven't really noticed this trend on CC as I pay no attention to BMI.  BMI as we all know should only be used as a guide.  We should be more concerned with visceral fat rather than a height/weight ratio chart.