Asian BMI? - CDC's help!!!

[Coley]

Hello.......I need your help!!!

I have a client who is Vietnamese. Now, I'm not sure if she is just part Vietnamese, but she's wanting to go by the Asian BMI scale.

I am having major reservations about it, and it's getting to the point where she is nearing BMI 25 and I want to get her moving up the plan a bit but she wants to stay down the lower end until about BMI 23, which would be fine going by the Asian BMI.

This woman is 6ft tall, her shoulders are broader than mine and I am sooooooooo unsure whether to class her as Asian or not. My instincts tell me no, but she is pushing me to let her do it to the Asian BMI.

Is there a hard and fast rule? HELP!!

 

[sonkie]

OO this is a tough one, Im no expert but im sure someone will come along soon.

 

[Happe]

Didnt even know there were separate bmi's for different races.

 

[pandora]

can you phone head office & ask their opinion ?
xx

 

[Isobel1965]

6' is very tall!! I would go with your gut instinct but phone Gill at HO in the morning just to make sure.

Personally, I wouldn't let her SS under BMI 25 just in case!

xxx

 

[Redpam]

Just a quick reply Coley but the Asian BMI is set because they are generally smaller than Europeans. This woman obviously is not if she is 6ft tall. Mr brother, who is 6' 6"" tall, is married to a Thai lady (she is lovely person) wh0 is 5' 3" and their two daughters are only 5' 5" tall. So I dont think this part Vietnamese lady has much Asian blood in her if she is so tall. I Agree with Pandora, check with HO. Usually the Asian BMI is used when people are overweight. I have never heard of it used at the slim end. lol
Pam

PS I am 5' 10" and both our parents were tall

 

[CW Consultant]

Hi Coley,

There is a different BMI rule for the Asian population as generally they are much smaller in stature and have a predisposition to Diabetes and High Blood Pressure.

At 6' I would really question whether to use this scale.

Most of my Asian customers are shorter than 5'4". I know there can be exceptions but if she is mixed race that could account for her height?

Definitely speak to Gill about this but I personally think she should not be less than 1000 calories now.

Linda

 

[jane]

I can't rememberthe No's offhand but thnk that 17-23 are close.
If she's mixed race my guess is she'll either fall between the two or count as european.surely as long as she agrees to stay safely within this it'll be OK. If she moves up the steps from a lower bmi than you would wish can't you readjust the rate that she moves up the steps to make sure she doesn't fall below the safe level.
The more Ithink about it the more I suspect that she should be couted as european.
Cambridge themselves are prob the only ones who can give you a definative answer.

 

[Coley]

Thanks everyone - I thought as much, she really isn't short enough for such a low BMI. Will double check but I don't think I'd feel right letting her keep going. Not sure where she is at the mo, been in Vietnam for 6 weeks, so might have been munching and I'll have nothing to worry about!

Thank yooooooooooooou!!