Eat like you want to be.

[Deskpilot]

Enjoy.

 

Eat Like The One You Want To Be

 

 

[David2ayo]

Only slightly extreme. Have been bemused by comments of prospective (and existing) pilots over the weight limitations in RAA aircraft, brought home to me fairly severely when Dubbo aero club did a trip to Mudgee. One of the aircraft owners specified a maximum passenger weight of 86 kg, which put me out of contention for a trip in the Taylorcraft (bugger!). The next scare was one of our members didn't pass the BMI for his medical (by a poofteenth of a knats breadth) so his flying got put on hold - fortunately, briefly. So, my 93kg is now 80kg, and the Legend Cub which I am learning on is slightly less stressed, I am slightly less stressed, our food budget is slightly less stressed, etc..

 

I suppose I am blessed in that I have a supportive moderately skinny family.

 

Can't see how those strap on wings would be much good! (happy to be proved wrong).

 

David

 

 

[old man emu]

We are being mugs and deluding ourselves if we continue to think that weights that make the BMI calculation exceed 25 are OK.

 

Department of Health | About Overweight and Obesity

 

However, I think that the accepted BMI values for normal weight need looking into. For example, I am 178 cms tall. The "Normal" BMI range is 18.5 to 24.9. For me, this is a weight range of 58.5 kg (9stone 3 lbs) to 79 kg (12 stone 6 lbs). At 80 kgs, I look like a pull through for a .22 rifle.

 

Some body weight authorities suggest that waist size is a better guide to suitable weight. At the moment, I'm a 112 cm waist and weigh about 115 kg. If I got my belt size down to 90 cms, I should be looking at a weight of 90 kgs, but my calculated BMI would be 28.4 which is the upper end of the overweight range.

 

I like to think that for every 0.75 kg of me I shed, I can pour in one more litre into the fuel tank.

 

OME

 

 

[Litespeed]

I am lucky at 172 cm and normally 73kg dripping wet, so I get to enjoy the benefits of a healthy weight and size. I admit to trying all means possible to sabotage my weight and it has been fun trying.

 

I agree the BMI is just stupid, I am at the high margins and skinny by most standards

 

My son has just turned 21 and is skinny with wide shoulders, size 15 feet and 6''4 ish and still seems to grow. His career as a jockey- horse or jet is looking in doubt. When he fills out, which he will, many a aircraft is out of the question. I have recommended he seek a diminutive partner for flying and bike riding- say 50 kgs max.

 

Just like in race cars or fast bikes, every kilo counts and needs more power to move. Our little aircraft really benefit from a diet from the pilot for many of us. Every kilo lost is performance gained and it costs nothing, a 10 or 20kg drop in pilot weight is hard to replicate and often very expensive for a airframe. Depending on the aircraft every kilo costs a lot more to save than the last one.

 

I know with a fast bike every extra hp over the stock can cost $300/hp in general- real power not bull. Any bloke or blokette at 120kgs is working everything real hard to keep up with a 75kg rider cruising and might need 15-30 more hp just to match. That costs bucks and dynamically still behind the curve. Losing weight can make huge performance change for the laaaaaarger amongst us, especially in the really light airframes.

 

"Mark Webber is a huge driver at Webber is 183 centimetres (six feet) tall, yet he tips the scales at just 75 kilograms. But he is still nine kilograms heavier than his diminutive four-time world champion Red Bull Racing teammate Sebastian Vettel and has to carry the extra weight higher in the car.Nov 24, 2013". It cost him O.3 seconds a lap just by been bigger- It might be said had he been a jockey weight he would have won 4 championships. Weight matters.

 

You wouldn't carry a bag of lead around in your aircraft, why carry it on your body if you can get rid of it. I know for some it is not a simple thing- but it is really worth doing- if just for the flying

 

 

[David2ayo]

Dear OME, If it was a simple waist size measurement, wearing a belt such as the one illustrated would reduce your waist size very effectively.

 

For the ladies, you could always try one of these A bit more expensive though.

 

David

 

 

[David2ayo]

Belt Pilot Waist Reduction

 

 

To err is human, to really stuff it up (and make the joke fall flat) use a computer

 

 

[old man emu]

David2ayo,

 

You Terramungamine blokes will never never get the better of a Eumungerie bloke. See ya in the Drover's Dog!

 

OME

 

 

[David2ayo]

David2ayo,You Terramungamine blokes will never never get the better of a Eumungerie bloke. See ya in the Drover's Dog!

OME

Never say never! (but the Dog is a good watering hole, a good stopover even for a teetotaller like me, and the back road via Mogriguy is the way to get there).

David

 

 

[Downunder]

I think the BMI was developed when people were shorter, then the figures were more accurate.

 

It's totally out of date and if some six foot something bloke got down to a reasonable BMI figure, I would think they were undernourished and ill.....

 

 

[old man emu]

Here's an article from a medical journal which tells us the origin of the BMI and points out that the current formula to calculate BMI is flawed, something intimated by the man who developed it way back in 1830.

 

BMI: is the body mass index formula flawed?

 

The same site published a report from a 2012 conference on obesity that in which it is proposed that the waist to height ratio is a better predictor of health risk than the BMI. It says that for an optimal situation, the waist measurement should be less than (Height x 1/2). That means a six-footer (180cm) should have a waist measurement of just under 36" (90 cm).

 

Waist To Height Ratio Better Than BMI

 

I suppose that the upshot of this for recreational fliers (and passengers) is that we have to try to get ourselves into shorter trouser belts.

 

OME

 

 

[facthunter]

The "pinch" test is fairly applicable. Having your arteries scanned is helpful. BMI ? THE "B" stands for BS. Look at the older photographs, at the beach or motorcross meetings. Hardly any fat people. Look Now. Hardly any thin people. Excuses?? It's in my GENES. My ancestors had to store food. YOUR ancestors had no access to Processed JUNK food. Watch what people actually EAT. It would kill your dog. FAT, SALT & SUGAR PLUS ALCOHOL.. Yummy!. Nev

 

 

[David2ayo]

A basic fact is that what is on your waist came through your mouth. Its probably something to do with the survival instinct - food available, eat because tomorrow it may not be there. Habit is another issue - I heard that, after ration tickets were abolished after WW2 in UK, it took some considerable time for meat consumption to rise to prewar levels, because people had got used to eating more sparingly. As Nev said, penty of excuses, the real problem (especially with me!) is the guy we see in the mirror most mornings.

 

As far as the BMI, it doesn't exactly apply to everyone, see the great article that OME dug out post #10, but when averaged over lots of people it does give a good guide to trends.

 

Lets face it, no sportsman would survive as "obese". (Please don't mention Sumo wrestlers).

 

David

 

 

[Deskpilot]

Glad to see that my little video has started a conversation between you all. I'm 6ft tall and weigh 100kgs My waist size varies between 115cm and 105cm dependent on how hard I suck it in. Obese? Doc says I should loose 15Kgs for my age but my bathroom scales are stuck at 100. I just hoping that my Thruster will pick me up when it's time to fly again.

 

 

[old man emu]

The big hazard in the use of BMI by authorities requiring medical reports is that these authorities haven't read the fine print, or understand that the formula produces a "line of best fit" when graphing population data gathered from only two measurable quantities - weight and height. So they blithely put the measured values into the formula; turn the handle and out pops a value which categorises the individual. Then this BMI value is further misused to predict an individual's potential health.

 

Currently, high BMI values are held to predispose a person to sleep apnoea, which in turn leads to drowsiness during the day. So the authorities demand extensive medical examinations before they authorise the renewal of a licence. So the individual is penalised because of a judgement call made by an "authority".

 

And for Deskpilot - wouldn't like to know for sure, rather than hope, that your Thruster will pick you up every time?

 

OME

 

 

[flying dog]

I cant give an exact BMI, but I am about 152 cm tall and fifty something kilos (on a good day).

 

I dont own a set of scales, so my weight is really unknown. But last time I did weigh myself, it was fifty something.

 

This is actually amazing as for a long time, my weight was 40 kg. FOUR ZERO.

 

There would be slight drifts up and down, but that would be more from food eaten or...... well, passed out.

 

But it was four zero.

 

Back in2011, I went to America for a few weeks and that is where it all started. I seem to remember coming home, when checking in and was weighing my luggage, I asked the person if I could weigh myself. I was 53 kg.

 

I soon went back to the 40-ish area, but at some time since then I have put on the extra 10 kg.

 

Oh the shame! 25% increase in weight!

 

;)

 

 

[old man emu]

I cant give an exact BMI, but I am about 152 cm tall and fifty something kilos (on a good day).

152 and 50 kg = BMI 21.6, which is OK

 

152 and 40 kg = BMI 17.3 which is underweight.

 

But these raw BMI figures are not differentiated for gender. Most BMI calculators do not differentiate between gender or age and these two factors have a great effect on the usefulness of BMI.

 

Just a word of warning. Check the minimum weight for solo operation of your aircraft. I recently saw a placard in an aircraft stating the the minimum weight of a solo pilot was not less than 50 kg.

 

OME

 

 

[flying dog]

Just a word of warning. Check the minimum weight for solo operation of your aircraft. I recently saw a placard in an aircraft stating the the minimum weight of a solo pilot was not less than 50 kg.

No comment.

 

 

[Ben SVD]

You have all got it wrong My BMI is calculated by Basic Merlot Intake which is high but I can live with that. When I did my flight training 77 Kg was the weight to us per PAX not sure if that is still the norm..Lots more big fat woppers and chips available now..

 

 

[old man emu]

No comment.

I wasn't taking a shot. I was just saying that some planes need a certain amount of weight for balance reasons. Experience has shown that this does not apply to some airplanes.

 

https://www.google.com.au/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=plane+takes+off+without+pilot&*