According to the BMI scale, Sean Bradley was overweight.

[RandomPoster]

The basketball player pictured below was overweight according to the BMI scale. He was listed as 7' 6" and 290 pounds with a BMI of 25.2. If he was 5' 5" with the same proportions, he would have been about 114 pounds and his BMI would have been 18.4, which would have classified him as underweight. This is because they are squaring the proportional height difference instead of cubing it.

In fact, he had a higher BMI than this guy:

Sean Sherk had just weighed in at 5' 6" 155 pounds with a BMI of 25.0, which is lower than Shawn Bradley's.

 

[MarathonMike]

BMI works for most people, but there are exceptions. Football players and weight lifters who have very low body fat percentage are "obese" by the BMI standard. It should be obvious if you have a guy who is 5' 9" and 200 lbs with a 32 inch waist, he isn't fat.

 

[bluzman61]

The basketball player pictured below was overweight according to the BMI scale. He was listed as 7' 6" and 290 pounds with a BMI of 25.2. If he was 5' 5" with the same proportions, he would have been about 114 pounds and his BMI would have been 18.4, which would have classified him as underweight. This is because they are squaring the proportional height difference instead of cubing it.

View attachment 335756

In fact, he had a higher BMI than this guy:
View attachment 335755

Sean Sherk had just weighed in at 5' 6" 155 pounds with a BMI of 25.0, which is lower than Shawn Bradley's.

I remember Sean Bradley quite well. He was an OK player despite being such a ridiculous height. But every time I'd see him I'd always think, "Please put some weight on, Sean, and TRY to add some muscle to your arms!" But I guess he did do fairly well in the NBA, he just always looked to me like he needed to eat an extra meal or two, or three........

 

[RandomPoster]

BMI works for most people, but there are exceptions. Football players and weight lifters who have very low body fat percentage are "obese" by the BMI standard. It should be obvious if you have a guy who is 5' 9" and 200 lbs with a 32 inch waist, he isn't fat.

That does not explain how the scrawny basketball player had a higher BMI than the stocky MMA fighter that actually looked like a bulked up bodybuilder. Sean Bradley not only had little fat, he also had little muscle. He was scrawny. If a man is 6' 200 pounds, he has a BMI of 27.1, which lists him as overweight. If another man is 12 feet tall with the same proportions, he will weigh 1,600 pounds and have a BMI of 54.2. which is way higher than any bodybuilder and higher than most sumo wrestlers.

 

[MarathonMike]

BMI works for most people, but there are exceptions. Football players and weight lifters who have very low body fat percentage are "obese" by the BMI standard. It should be obvious if you have a guy who is 5' 9" and 200 lbs with a 32 inch waist, he isn't fat.

That does not explain how the scrawny basketball player had a higher BMI than the stocky MMA fighter that actually looked like a bulked up bodybuilder. Sean Bradley not only had little fat, he also had little muscle. He was scrawny. If a man is 6' 200 pounds, he has a BMI of 27.1, which lists him as overweight. If another man is 12 feet tall with the same proportions, he will weigh 1,600 pounds and have a BMI of 54.2. which is way higher than any bodybuilder and higher than most sumo wrestlers.

Maybe the scale breaks down when people are freakishly tall? I don't know just guessing. I remember Sean Bradley I doubt he had more than 10% body fat.

 

[fncceo]

BMI works for most people, but there are exceptions. Football players and weight lifters who have very low body fat percentage are "obese" by the BMI standard. It should be obvious if you have a guy who is 5' 9" and 200 lbs with a 32 inch waist, he isn't fat.

Which is why, when your employment is contingent on BMI, you will take a skin fold test in place of BMI measure

 

[RandomPoster]

BMI works for most people, but there are exceptions. Football players and weight lifters who have very low body fat percentage are "obese" by the BMI standard. It should be obvious if you have a guy who is 5' 9" and 200 lbs with a 32 inch waist, he isn't fat.

Which is why, when your employment is contingent on BMI, you will take a skin fold test in place of BMI measure

Let's take a look at the Army. They have a PT test. I say a PT test is a better measure of your physical abilities than BMI or skin-fold test. Let's say you have a guy who eats like a pig and gets drunk every night, yet works out hard every day. He can be in very good shape while being both overweight and not looking like a bodybuilder. If he can do a lot of push-ups and sit-ups and run 2 miles in a very fast time, he can get kicked out of the army for being overweight even though he might be one of the healthiest guys in his unit.

 

[RandomPoster]

BMI works for most people, but there are exceptions. Football players and weight lifters who have very low body fat percentage are "obese" by the BMI standard. It should be obvious if you have a guy who is 5' 9" and 200 lbs with a 32 inch waist, he isn't fat.

That does not explain how the scrawny basketball player had a higher BMI than the stocky MMA fighter that actually looked like a bulked up bodybuilder. Sean Bradley not only had little fat, he also had little muscle. He was scrawny. If a man is 6' 200 pounds, he has a BMI of 27.1, which lists him as overweight. If another man is 12 feet tall with the same proportions, he will weigh 1,600 pounds and have a BMI of 54.2. which is way higher than any bodybuilder and higher than most sumo wrestlers.

Maybe the scale breaks down when people are freakishly tall? I don't know just guessing. I remember Sean Bradley I doubt he had more than 10% body fat.

Like I said, they're squaring the proportional height difference, instead of cubing it.

Formula: weight (lb) / [height (in)]2 x 703

 

[rightwinger]

Where does Manut Bol stand on the BMI?

7’7” 201 lbs

 

[whitehall]

Good point. They ought to specify that the BMI scale no longer applies to freakazoid basketball players.

 

[Shawnee_b]

BMI is ignorant, doesn't take in stuff like chest size, ectomorph, endomorph mesomorph. I wear a 44'' chest told me I was obese for my weight and height, now if one is a 38 chest size same weight height, OK they a fattie

 

[22lcidw]

BMI is ignorant, doesn't take in stuff like chest size, ectomorph, endomorph mesomorph. I wear a 44'' chest told me I was obese for my weight and height, now if one is a 38 chest size same weight height, OK they a fattie

Basketball is a demanding sport. Bradley and Bol were players more for their size then talents. They had limited affect and bodies that can be more prone to injuries. There are guys who have their size but proportioned better who also have talents that are gamechangers.