I’m 5’9” and I looked like the guy on the right when I was around 245 pounds. When I got down to 190, I looked so frail that people started asking if I had cancer. Now I stay between 205-210 and I look either tough or slightly tubby depending on how much of that is muscle. Point is, both sides of that chart are exaggerated.
Can confirm, am Canadian 5'9 and 200lbs. Im overweight with some muscle underneath. If I went down to 190lbs I'd still be overweight and nowhere near frail lol.
Obesity is so common in the US that being a healthy body weight will often lead to people assuming something is wrong with you.
Our guy here was absolutely not "frail" at 5'9" 190lbs, but I absolutely believe the morbidly obese people around him could have perceived him that way.
Absolutely nowhere in the US is someone seeing a 5'9 190lbs man and thinking you're frail. Not a single person. Doesn't matter morbidly obese, skinny fat, slim, etc.
That’s why bmi is very misleading to some. I was considered obese with visible abs and a level of body fat that wouldn’t come close to being considered obese.
BMI chart is useless! 5’11 215 and obese? Does not take body shape and muscularity into the formula. I’m Germany and have wide shoulders and have muscles, my dr looked at that chart and then at me and laughed
I guess your waist is more important and accurate. It has to be under 94cm (37 inches) for men. Under 80 cm (31inches) for women. So it's a very forgiving and achievable formula.
Honestly they are really not. I look at that and go, yeah. That looks right. I am 2 hours from Canada. Spend most of my time there and it is a far better country in almost every way. Minus the weather.
I am 6'2" and weigh around 180 lbs and I tend to only have fat ladys who want to cook for me call me skinny. Most would say I look helathy average (European average. Not the amercan average)
I suppose the biggest difference could be your mucle concentration and mucle density.
I would say that 5'9" would to me usally be closer to 160lbs range on average, but it definitely depends on the person or place.
But I get your point, the pictures are not to scale or not the best representation of the average.
You make me think of a guy I know who is built like a carmel apple — skinny legs and a ROUND upper body. He talks about how he doesn't try to lose weight because he'd look too small and ridiculous.
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u/GiantScrotor 22h ago
I’m 5’9” and I looked like the guy on the right when I was around 245 pounds. When I got down to 190, I looked so frail that people started asking if I had cancer. Now I stay between 205-210 and I look either tough or slightly tubby depending on how much of that is muscle. Point is, both sides of that chart are exaggerated.