Measuring

In the past couple of years in the UK doctors have started measuring their patients waists and hips, as both an indication of diabetes and for obesity. Does anyone else really enjoy this practice? Is it common place around the rest of the world?

I've had a couple of times where they've attempted to do it over clothes, but I always "suggest" that the fabric would add to the measurement. Which of course true and it's more accurate against skin and also more enjoyable of course.

In America we use a ratio of height to weight called the Body Mass Index. The higher, (say above 26 or so,) the more obese. The standard varies by age and sex, I don't have a chart with me but take it as fact, I have seen some girls who score above 30, very, very large girls!

I agree Diane....I mean those skinny people never get sick either, only FAT people get sick. Oh I forgot thin people do get cancer, have heart attacks, have diabetes and high bp etc....

James, I always take my patients' chest, waist and thigh measurements and then, after removing their underwear, the measurements of their genitals. 😃

I do not like the BMI trend. I feel it is impersonal and doesn't take into account ones special needs but turns us all into numbers instead of people. I don't want to be judged by my BMI but by who I am as a person. I don't like being categorized or judged.

But if you're into the whole BMI thing, I found this while searching for BMI calculators tonight.

How to calculate BMI? If you wish to calculate BMI yourself, below are the BMI formulas for both English units and metric units:

Metric Units: BMI = Weight (kg) / (Height (m) x Height (m))

English Units: BMI = Weight (lb) / (Height (in) x Height (in)) x 703

And from another site: For other measurements, if you want to keep track of your patients' weight, health risk and weight loss goals, the following site provides a calculator for six different health factors.

The BMI Plus Calculator is an innovative health and weight calculator that gives personal results on 6 different weight and fitness measurements. Whether you're just getting started or have already begun your journey, this calculator will help you understand your body's needs as your body changes for optimal personal success!

The WebMD BMI Plus Calculator will calculate:

BMI – Body Mass Index BMI is used to find out if a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.

Waist-to-Height Ratio Body shape (determined by Waist-to-Height Ratio) is often considered to be the best indicator of health related to weight.

RMR – Resting Metabolic Rate The number of calories you burn if you do nothing all day.

Healthy Body Weight RangeThe range with the least risk of weight-related health problems.

Daily Caloric Intake The recommended number of calories from food/drinks to meet your weight goals.

Target Heart Rate The heart rate needed to achieve maximum exercise results.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/calc-bmi-plus

BMI is bullshit, pretty much most athletes have horrible BMIs, doesn't really make much sense.

I'm with dr michael. Underwear off for full measurements.

I agree that genitals should be measured

Well, it must be done in some cases cause we do have statistics on average penis length per country and per continent ... but I suspect that those numbers were taken during the time when military conscription was the norm in most countries.

Maybe similar statistics might have been available from school exams, but I doubt very much this is still being done anymore. I can imagine the outcry this would cause if should become publicly known nowadays ...

In any case, I have never ever had my genitals measured in any sort of medical setting ...

BMI is bogus. If one is very athletic well developed muscles and low body fat, the BMI will rate them over weight. If one has a sedentary lifestyle and a little body fat, their BMI will also indicate over weight. When my son was a senior in High School he played forward on the schools basketball team. At 6' 5" and 220 pounds his BMI was 26 which is considered overweight. He didn't have an ounce of fat on him. The only people who fall into the normal range are those who have poor muscle development and little to no fat. Also, a BMI calculator that does not have an option of selecting gender if not going to produce an accurate BMI number.

There is one VERY GOOD measure of a person's being fat or not.

You don't need any equipment. You use your eyes. It isn't hard to tell if someone is fat or fit, but we still may need a numerical piece of data, which is one reason why we have the BMI.

As far as the BMI is concerned, IT WORKS for the vast majority of people. Fat people may not like it because it gives yet another measurable attribute of their obesity.

Athletes who have a high BMI because of their well developed musculature can easily be SEEN to be in good shape.

Lets cut out this silly argument over the value of BMI. When I measure an 11 year old girl and her BMI is 30, I don't have to be told that she is obese.

Athletes do score high on BMI but Sussie has given you the answer, look at them! I am concerned that our government, in its attempt to control every aspect of our lives, will use BMI to attack, defame or deny rights to some people. I can see the government, in the direction it is now heading, denying health care to a obese person and stating that it is their fault, they should have better self control.

Look out, the foof police are just around the corner, sniffing at your chocolate!

I don't know if it is statewide or nationwide but some folks are wanting to put BMIs on children's report cards to keep track of it. I think that's just wrong. There is already enough pressure on kids to look older than they are, wear sexier clothing and always be thin. Low self-esteem and eating disorders are the only things that putting BMIs on report cards will do. Can you imagine if someone's BMI increases and that child is grounded or punished because of it? What will that lead to - negative body image, obviously, and hell, more kids are committing suicide for being bullied, who knows what being grounded from one report to the next due to their weight would do to a child. BMIs are just one more thing to put pressure on kids and throwing them into the adult world way too soon. They shouldn't worry about their weight and just be a kid for a while. Parents should be taught about nutrition and exercise at the beginning of the school year and children can also learn about them in class. But let kids be kids.

I think it's very important to have BMIs on EVERYONE, especially children. I'm sorry but parents SHOULD be worried about if there kid is obese or not. I think it's important to teach your kids about a healthy life style while they are young! It will prevent them from having diabetes and other serious problems when they get older. Kids are sponges and it's VERY important to teach them how to take care of themselves. Telling them not to care or ignoring their health is just plain stupid.

That is my opinion though!

I do not believe BMI should be on report cards or anything other than your medical chart.

I also think the government should stay the hell out of all aspects of family life. That goes for childrens' services, adult services or anything else. Unfortunately, there are casualties in everyday life, but it isn't up to the government to get involved with family life in any manner, shape or form. They should stay the hell out of domestic matters.

I can see the government, in the direction it is now heading, denying health care to a obese person and stating that it is their fault, they should have better self control.

.. sniffing at your chocolate!

To me, that sounds like something that private health insurance companies would do ... after all, denying coverage because of a condition only increases their profits. And that is the only reason they are operating a health insurance company - for their own financial benefit. That is the core point of private business

Governments on the other hand are to protect and provide for the common good, especially where private individuals and private institutions come up lacking ... and they invariably do. Out of ignorance, laziness or plain old fashioned greed ...

The chocolate thing you are referring to might have to do with a recently voted tax on the consumption of certain types of fats in foodstuffs. But that was in Denmark. And while they were for a while the laughing stock in newspapers and news shows all over the Union, the tax was very minimal and wouldn't really put a stop to anyone's consumption of fattening foods at all. It is more in the way of raising taxes to pay for the costs of amongst other things, medical costs due to obesity and such ... this also fits in with the Scandinavian tradition of heavily taxing unhealthy items such as for instance alcohol and more recently tobacco.

And besides, it is hard to deny the logic of starting to teach healthy and beneficial habits at an early age. That is the logic that starts children learning to read and write and do arithmetic when they are young - not when they are in their teens. The same holds for religious teaching. Start when young or they will seldom become affiliated with a church when older. It's not a very complicated concept to grasp - start when young or individuals will never learn when older ... or else only at great cost and effort ...

GG, if children are obese, it's the parents fault. They are the ones who are supposed to be feeding and teaching their children about nutrition and exercise. But they fail themselves. Home economics is no longer taught in schools and that's where most people learned about cooking and nutrition. Instead, people just pull into a Taco Bell for dinner instead of making a healthy, balanced meal at home. Everything is rush, rush, rush and instant gratification. They don't take the time to prep veggies, fruits, lean meats, proteins and grains. They just throw things in the microwave and call it done. The BMI report card would reflect more on the parent than the child but everyone expects the child to magically know about balancing food and nutrition. There is a great lack of education and children today are suffering because of it. Before we can teach the child, we need to teach the parents. But America's lifestyle doesn't offer the time or ability to do so. Kids are just expected to wing it.

In Belgium there are " laws " or legal limits for the amount of salt in the butter , in the bread , only for healthy reasons , because otherwise the major food company will add more and more to give a better taste , and to sale more than the concurrence . In the US only money is leading , for health it is a NEGATIVE ADVANTAGE , all your soft drinks contains more sugar than in Europe just to please , so the sales are growing up like your weight , and when overweighted they sale you expensive " light " food , so more money is coming back .

To be overweighted is not good for the health , but actually this make a lot of money .

When major companies makes money, the state make also MONEY !

I prefer to live in Europe for my health .

I agree with you egirl, it is the parents fault totally! That's why I said parents should teach their kids healthy eating habits while they are young so that they will carry over into adult life. It's a parents' job to make sure their kids are happy and healthy.

Looks like I opened a can of worms with this one! I realise weight is a sensitive issue for many people and not everyone connects weight/fat with sexuality. However I think many people enjoy the embarrassment factor within an examination, the vulnerability and exposure, that's what I get from it anyway.

I happen to be fortunate in that I'm tall so the extra weight that I carry isn't that noticeable when I'm dressed so there's the added surprise factor when I take off my shirt and sometimes catch a look from them of "where have you been hiding all that!". Makes me feel even more exposed

For me fat has always been a defining characteristic in my life, I have always felt a mix of excitement and shame over gaining weight and especially when this is pointed out to me or likewise when others talk about their own weight.

So being weighed and measured and then having the numbers clinically stated aloud, receiving comments and advice are all a major thrill.

Would really love to find a female play doc in the UK would be happy doing body circumferences, weighing, BMI, and body fat tests with callipers.

In the UK there has been a lot of discussion regarding the use of BMI.

There is a suggestion that it should be replaced or complemented by comparing your waist measurement to your height, with a guideline of 0.5. If your height is 6ft your ideal waist measurement should be 36inches.

Fat around the waist can be more harmful to you than fat in other parts of the body.

What is more worrying is some people's obsession with trying to conform. As long as you are not too underweight or overweight, and eat and drink sensibly, you should be content with yourself.

When i did sports we were measured all the time

America has a serious obesity problem, so how can obese parents be expected to teach their children anything...they all have grown up on fast foods! However, this can of worms has digressed from the original posting of measurements being taken at an exam...in answer to that, no measurements of me have ever been taken at a real exam...and no play exam either. Personally, as a play doctor, I often take measurements of all sorts at a play exam...it adds to the fantasy level and my patients seem to love it because they see it done in porn all the time. However, I would like to pose this question in regards to the original question...has anyone ever had their genitals actually measured at a real exam other than when they were young with the Tanner scale?

I was measured regularly (chest, waist plus obvs height) at school but only a couple of times since then.

"There is a suggestion that it should be replaced or complemented by comparing your waist measurement to your height, with a guideline of 0.5. If your height is 6ft your ideal waist measurement should be 36inches."

36" waist for someone 6ft tall doesn't sound "ideal" - 34" max I would think

Although not worthless, this measurement seems like one step removed from the relevant information: is this person running a risk of diabetes / heart disease etc. This information can be more accurately gleaned from a blood sample. BMI has some measurement value, but it's not the best measurement tool.

If they are going to start recording BMI's (mine is during my annual exam) then the patients overall physical condition should be noted when a BMI appears in an unacceptable range. "Patient has an athletic physique" and appears to be in excellent physical condition. Patient has a runner's physique and appears to be in excellent physical condition. In other words, justify the reading.

If they are going to start recording BMI's (mine is during my annual exam) then the patients overall physical condition should be noted when a BMI appears in an unacceptable range. "Patient has an athletic physique" and appears to be in excellent physical condition. Patient has a runner's physique and appears to be in excellent physical condition. In other words, justify the reading.

They probably do.

Being measured is one of the most embarrassing moent if you are overweight

Mine has done weight/height and then BMI calculation, but never anything mroe than that. It sure would be interesting though, and definitely some thought for play

I get this every time now and also at the gym. I hate BMI as it's so inaccurate as a measure of wellbeing if you're muscular. Body fat % and hip / waist ratio is much more significant. I did look into all of this and it's based on the research of Dr Margaret Ashwell (if anyone wants to google!)