AO3 - Critical Evaluation - BMI or BVI?

10/19/2010

15 Comments

 
Watch the video footage on the link and listen to both viewpoints. What is your opinion? Critically evaluate the two methods and decide, using relevant research, which one you think is more appropriate.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11520859

Mr Ashdown
15 Comments
Stefan Dumitrascu
10/20/2010 09:06:12 pm

BMI has been used for a long time. Even though it was thought to be accurate current studies show that it isn't. BVI uses new technology which more accurate and it doesnt just measure the weight compared to the height. Therefore BMI which measures just that is inaccurate on top level elite athlete or even those who work out regularly. I think the costs of BVI shouldnt be a problem because I think the governement should provide funding to the NHS and local leisure centres. They could charge the 50p which would but the tape measure to charge anyone who wants to measure their BVI more often therefore the costs shouldnt be a problem.

To sum up I think BVI should be the technology that is used in the future.

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Manoraj Sivantharajah
10/22/2010 10:33:39 pm

Well i think that it will be useful to use both the BMI and the BVI as the BMI is easy to use and will not take longer than a minute as it can be done on the internet. whereas the BVI means that you have to got to a clinic and get it done.

Also the BVI will bring up some esteem issues as not everyone will be comfortable to do a BVI test as it means that you have to take your clothes of to do and some people might not like to this because they might be fat etc. Also Their might be a few cultural issues as not all religions will go ahed with the idea.

The BVI is useful but it will not be as confidential as the BMI as you will need people to take the white light pictures whereas you can do the BMI test yourself by using the internet.

To sum it up I would say that WE SHOULD USE THE BVI for those who are happy to use them and those who do not want to use the BVI can simply use the BMI test

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Luke Dixon
10/23/2010 09:51:22 pm

I think we should use both BMI and BVI tests. BMI tests are easier to do because you can go on the internet and do it yourself whereas BVI tests are more time consuming because you need to go to a clinic or doctors etc.to get it done.

The BVI is more accurate though because it doesn't take your hieght and wieght to see if your overwieght. It uses white light scanning which scans and looks at your muscle density. But BMI doesn't require you to take your clothes off, if you are more self conscience about your wieght or religious fsctors mean you can't, then you won't do it. There for you should be able to have a BMI test.

So to conclude, I think we should still be available to use either the BMI or the BVI tests.

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Alex Penfold
10/28/2010 02:20:26 am

I think that BVI would be a better way to go as it can pin point where exactly there is excess fat.By prodcuing a 3D image of a person it can mean the NHS can pin point peoples fat content and offer support for those who they class as obese.

Games such as wii fit uses peoples BMI, a similar system maybe could be used but maybe ask people to take a BVI test whenever they next go to there GP.This could save lives and reduce the cost on the NHS of obese people by stopping them before they get that far.

Athletes being classed as obese using BMI meanss that BMI is out of date and highly inaccurate and is pointless.

Therefore to sum up BVI has to be inplace quickly to help reduce the cost on the NHS in the long run even if they cost money short term.

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Jack Harding
10/28/2010 03:11:53 am

I think that the BMI tests are certainly outdated in our new time and age with all of the technological advances which have happened over the past couple of decades leading to the BVI tests. The BVI tests definately look like the way forward for measuring, accurately a persons mass and how much fat they have inside their bodies.

Firstly I think that the BMI is a cheap way to find out how people used to way themselves. A positive about it is that, it has been used for many years and has been reliable for those who have used it. Even though it is inaccurate now, it could have motivated those who weren't obese but thought they were to keep exercising more. Lastly it is a cheap way to find out your weight instead of paying maybe thousands of pounds to go towards new machines which are much more efficient. However a negative point is that because it is not accurate it tells people who regularly exercise that they are obese just because muscles has a higher weight than fat.

BVI tests are the new way to measure a person's weight with the technology we have today it is more efficient than the BMI's because it is more precise. A positive point is that it can easily identify where the fat is located in a person's body which can make them go and exercise that part to get rid of it. However the costs of the machines to be able to do this will be quite high as they are new and it is more efficient technology. Another negative could be the people who are obese or overweight may be embarrassed about how they look and might not want to show it to other people.

I think that our society should start to introduce BVI's into health clinic's as a BMI may give inaccurate results on someone which could lead them to having lower self esteem.

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Greg Allen
10/31/2010 04:02:26 am

I think that we should use BVI because the technology is much better as it takes into account your muscle size, height and weight before giving you the results of the test. This is dne through the use of white light which is flashed at you and makes the reading more accurate. However for this test to be done you would have to go to a clinic, as the machine will not fit in a shop like the BMI machine does.

The BMI technology is outdated as it has been used for many years and the BVI makes the BMI obslite. But unlike the BVI; the BMI can be done by yourself as you can operate the machine yourself (in Boots) or do it on the internet, whereas the BVI needs to be operated by a Doctor in the clinic.

The BVI is more advanced and precise but also a lot more revealing and less personal, because it isn't just you who knows the results snd many people may feel uncomfortable with the way the test is conducted. The good thig about BMI is that you don't need to be embaressed about using it as no one has to conduct the test and you get the results straight away.

So to conclude, I think that we should begin to introduce the BVI test and the people who don't want to use it can (athletes) and the people who don't want to use them can use the BMI test.

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Adam Brewer
10/31/2010 05:28:49 am

I believe that rather than using either BMI or BVI, it would be appropriate to use both tests, as then the doctor/patient, or whoever it is relevant to can see all necessary compnents to measure whether somebody is overweight.

Firstly, i believe that BMI is a simple and easy test to determine whether somebody is overweight/obease, and it generally works. There are however limits to the testing as it determines weight by height, and if a person is extremely muscular, the test will not be valid. This would be when BVI would be helpful.

BVI actually scans the body, and determines what percentage of the body is fat. This is of course much more accurate, however the machinery is probably rather expensive. But for top athletes, it could help them achieve their absolute peaks as they would be able to determine when the body has the correct amount of muscle/fat ratio for their sports.

Comparing the two methods, i believe that BVI testing, is a more accurate way of determining whether somebody is overweight, and should definately be used in extreme circumstances. However, for somebody who goes to have a general check up, and are obviously not overweight/obease, the BMI test would be appropriate, as a rough guide.

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Johnny Cook
11/1/2010 01:54:31 am

I personally believe that BVI is the way foward for calculating the amount of fat on your body.
This is because it is overall more accurate and effective at seeing if you are overweight/obese and can even help in finding where the fat is located so you can focus on that particular area of your body if you wish to lose that weight.
BMI although it has been used years it is outdated, unaccurate and can often give the impression that someone is overweight just because they are very muscular.
In the short term, BVI would obviously cost more to use and provide but compared to the money the NHS would save by not having to treat so many people for obesity it is a small fee.

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daniel fanthome
11/1/2010 06:06:30 pm

BMI has both its positives and negitives firstly it was to be able to calculate your BMI close however this is not the case in short but muscley people as muscle weighs more then fat therefore a short body builder will come under obese however they are very fit

BVI also has its positives and negitives firslt BVI is much more effective and accurate however there are the negitives that are costs and spending cuts in the NHS ans future cuts will blur the sights of buying so many even though a useful and effective tool.

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Stefan Winder
11/1/2010 06:22:07 pm

I think that BMI for its time was a very simple yet effective and moderately accurate way of calculating your body mass. However instead of actually measuring your percentage of body fat, it measured your body weight. Therefore it is not precise enough and therefore useless.
I therefore think that BVI is the way forward as it is much more accurate. However it can have a negative influence over the NHS as it costs a lot more and could keep us in recession.

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Laura
11/3/2010 06:34:03 am

BMI (Body Mass Index) is a good idea as it is easy to do/calculate and gives a quick guideline or understanding to an individual’s weight without too much hassle. It is also cheap which means every member of society can do it. However it has many flaws, it is an old way to calculate weight and whether you are over-weight. It is inaccurate as it does not differentiate between body fat and body muscle, it also cannot be used by elite athletes or people who exercise regularly as if it was it would say that anyone with some sort of muscle definition is over-weight/obese.

BVI (Body Volume Index) uses new technology, not available when the BMI tests where first invented, which allows the calculation to be made on body fat alone rather than muscle and boy fat combined (as the process used to collect the information only detects the excess body fat). The fact that it is very accurate means that elite athletes can see exactly how much body fat they have and plan training sessions to potentially combat it. However, on the opposite side of the argument, it is expensive – therefore meaning that it isn’t available to everyone, only those select few who can afford it. It is not easy to carry out as it requires specialist machines, technology and doctors to carry it out.

I feel that the BMI is now out-dated; even though it was once the best kind of indicator we had to body mass. The BVI is now the most accurate way of showing body mass/volume, even though it is expensive and only available to those select few, I feel that it will eventually be available to the majority of the population just because it is so revolutionary and accurate. The BVI will allow us to progress, I feel, in the elitism of sport in GB.

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Adam Goodsell
11/11/2010 01:15:07 am

BMI gives a good indication of a person's body mass, and is the most accurate calculation on those who do not work out. However, when used on atheletes or individuals who use weights, BMI can be innacurate as muscle weighs more than fat. This means people with more muscle often come up as overweight/obese when calculating their body mass using BMI.

On the other hand, BVI dismisses muscles and only measures body fat and any excess fat on the body. This means that athletes or people who work out can get a clear indication of their body mass without the BMI taking into consideration their muscle weight. However, one negative point coming from the use of BVI is that the equipment is expensive and needless, when you can measure an individual by using a tape measure, a much cheaper option!

I believe that BMI should still be used in most cases although if athletes want to get a clearer indication dismissing their muscle, BVI should be used.

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Josh Miller
11/11/2010 03:45:36 pm

Both tests are important for testing if a person is obese or just simply overweight, however BMI doesn't account for muscle mass therefore it will not be valid to performers and should not be used for that certain reason, however the good points are its simple to use, cheap and can be calculated within a few seconds.

BVI accounts for everything therefore is an affective way to measure a persons body mass, This is the most effective for everyone however this test is very expensive and should be used if there an elite perform or if there is a serious risk to their health. BVI can help athletes achieve their personal weight goal, muscle tone to body fat ratio etc. BVI will also need a trainer member in order to work the piece of machinery therefore that will cost more money.

In conclusion BMI has been out dated/ not specific enough anymore, but however it should be used in order to show if a person is overweight, even if they have a higher percentage in muscle tone, this will also help to see how much of an impact their weight is having an affect on their skeletal system to. BVI is the most effective but yet the most expensive and should only be used as last resort.

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Jamie
11/19/2010 07:50:46 pm

As said in the video, i believe that BMI is outdated and is not a good way of measuring to see if someone is overweight or not as it does not take into account muscle and fat mass. On the other hand, it is easy to do which is usefull for amatuers and can still be used for those training aerobically and not using weights to lose fat.

On the other hand, BVI is a much better method as it takes into account the ratio of muscle mass to fat mass. However, unlike BMI, it is very expensive and complicated test to do and should only be used for elite athletes who need it to excel in their sport.

The waist measurment is a easy way to check for those who are not seriously training and competing and want to stay in shape. It will also give them goals and something to aim for whiles its very easy and cheap for them to measure.

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Myles McAneny
11/28/2010 01:30:17 am

Personally I think that BVI is the best way for testing the amount of fat on your body as it is proven that BVI gives you a clearer and more accurate view of results to show if one is actually overweight or not. On the other hand you have BMI which in recent studies has come under great scrutiny for being very inaccurate in terms of the results it gives to show if someone is actually overweight. BMI results can sometimes show that a person is overweight when they are there actually not, but just have a lot of muscle mass for their size. Obviously there are pros and cons for both with BMI costing less but being inaccurate and BVI costing more but being a lot more accurate, in the long run I feel that BVI would be the more appropriate to use and could also help in lowering the amount of overweight people there are in this day and age.

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