How accurate is the BMI (body mass index) in determining your health???

I am 33, 5 foot 6, very active (swim, walk a lot, have started yoga and belly dancing, and do sit-ups, 25 a day, and push ups about 15 a day). I have a lot of muscle in my arms and legs. I have a little bit of a baby condo left from having my third child, but other then that my stomach is relatively flat. My BP is usually around 110/60. But here is the thing, I way 223 lbs. When I have people geuss my weight people usually say about 150, I know some of that is trying to be polite but some seem genuinely suprised when I say what I weigh. According to the BMI I am morbidly obese, but I don't feel it. I told my mother and a co-worker that I want to lose 70 lbs they said that I would look like a skeleton. My doctor says weightloss would be good, but he also says that I am in perfect health, so what do you folks think???? Go by weight or go by how you look, act and feel?????

BMI is only an estimate of your weight distribution. It does not really take into account or differentiate muscle/fat ratios or bone structure. When I was in the army the soldiers who worked out with heavy weights and therefore had higher than usual muscle mass (which is denser than fat) always exceeded the charts and had to have more specialized measurements done.

The most accurate way to determine your muscle/fat ratio is to have a physician weigh you on dry land and also submersed in a pool. Since fat is less dense than muscle the difference in weight between the dry weigh-in and the submerged weigh-in gives a more accurate measure of fat percentage in your body weight.

If you are truly concerned then you should consult with a physician who will use a more precise evaluation than just looking at a chart. Diet and activity levels are as important in determining over all health as is body fat levels.

usually id say go by how u feel but youshould try to lose some weight like try to get to 175 and see how you feel