Ask Science
Ask a science question, get a science answer.
Community Rules
Rule 1: Be respectful and inclusive.
Treat others with respect, and maintain a positive atmosphere.
Rule 2: No harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or trolling.
Avoid any form of harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or offensive behavior.
Rule 3: Engage in constructive discussions.
Contribute to meaningful and constructive discussions that enhance scientific understanding.
Rule 4: No AI-generated answers.
Strictly prohibit the use of AI-generated answers. Providing answers generated by AI systems is not allowed and may result in a ban.
Rule 5: Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
Adhere to community guidelines and comply with instructions given by moderators.
Rule 6: Use appropriate language and tone.
Communicate using suitable language and maintain a professional and respectful tone.
Rule 7: Report violations.
Report any violations of the community rules to the moderators for appropriate action.
Rule 8: Foster a continuous learning environment.
Encourage a continuous learning environment where members can share knowledge and engage in scientific discussions.
Rule 9: Source required for answers.
Provide credible sources for answers. Failure to include a source may result in the removal of the answer to ensure information reliability.
By adhering to these rules, we create a welcoming and informative environment where science-related questions receive accurate and credible answers. Thank you for your cooperation in making the Ask Science community a valuable resource for scientific knowledge.
We retain the discretion to modify the rules as we deem necessary.
view the rest of the comments
BMI is a general guideline that offers a reasonable approximation of body mass at the population level. That it also offers a reasonable estimate on the individual level, when all other factors are taken into account, is a plus.
Medical practitioners aren't out there widely telling otherwise obese people with missing limbs that they're a perfectly healthy weight or that all mass is fat.
When you read unverifiable anecdotes about a dumb doctor telling a power lifter that they are obese, don't take it as gospel. When your doctor tells you that you're a perfectly healthy weight because you're missing a leg, even though you don't exercise, eat like shit, and have a 50 inch / 125 cm waist, that's when you start asking questions and find a new doctor. Most of them aren't like that.
Tbf most of experience with doctors of late has been a vitails, weight, and height check, then waiting 30 minutes for a doctor to come ask me my name, ask why I'm here, check the chart, rattle off the same "you oughta"s and leave within the first 5 minutes of meeting the guy. I am the persistent and fortunate one of people I know and actually go to occasionally despite waiting a few months at a time to find one between my two primary care docs (I signed up with two, because wait times is pretty bad).