I read this on social media and can’t find a DOD source.
It appears they are going to a height to waist ratio instead.
For what it is worth, I am still a reservist and have never once seen BMI used at all.
Step in the right direction, but still lowest common denominator kind of crap IMO.
Some people have wide hip bones. They shouldn’t be potentially disqualified if their body fat percentage is acceptable.
Twenty years ago they adopted a pass/fail straight waist measurement, which was an even bigger load of crap. That slowly, painstakingly was modified and eventually dispensed with.
But now it’s back in a different form. The decision makers seem to have an eternal fixation on waist size, when there are lots more ways to assess someone’s healthy body size.
BMI is flawed when used for individuals. Idk if height to waist is better. Why not use body fat %?
They use body fat if height to weigh is not in compliance.
I think there are some accuracy issues with this as well.
Using those pinching calipers requires skill and intelligence, and unfortunately I can tell you from experience the military would find a way to ensure their least skilled and least intelligent employees (whether uniformed or GS) would end up with that duty.
Dexa scans are also subject to error (YouTuber Greg Doucette calls them “dexa scams”) and likely too costly/impractical for widespread use. Same with hydrostatic weighing.
Allegedly the MRI is the best method of BFP assessment, but at $1K/hour that isn’t gonna happen in this lifetime.
It’s almost as if trusting our unit commanders to use their judgment and discretion would be a better bet than all these feeble attempts to apply system-wide one-size-fits-all standards to half a million people with widely varying career fields and fitness requirements.
Sorry, got carried away there in my passion. @kcflyer feel free to slam me for my longwindedness 
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t water displacement supposed to be accurate?
BMI is used but they I don’t remember them calling you. First check is height/weight which is BMI.
Second check is the tape measure.
BMI is a tool and while it has its flaws. It is accurate for most people. People overestimate their muscle.
That is what the tape estimates.
The tape is awful, it is ripe for human error.
Yes or dexascan.
Problem is that’s slow and expensive for millions if people. Also not needed for a basic test.
Personally I think if you can pass the PT. That’s what is important. If an obese person can pass it. The test is to easy.
If an obese person can pass it then they are fit enough to be a tank.
It probably is accurate enough, but I think the limitation here is cost.
The military could buy the equipment, but they would have to train people how to use it. Much like the skinfold calipers, I think it would end up being a massive waste of money, and possibly not worth the effort.
I think that is a good point, and on the flipside, even skinny people can struggle with it if they are not fit.
Fitness should be the priority to assess, not smallness.
Well the idea is too much body fat and you’re not fit.
Also the dfac needs healthier food. Too much garbage.
Not my experience. There is the height and weight check, but the acceptable standards vary by age and gender. BMI is one common standard for everybody.
BMI is height/weight. BMI adjust foe age and sex. Gender isn’t used in bmi calculations.
I forget her name, but there’s a woman now dominating college basketball. If you saw her on the street, you’d probably think she’s morbidly obese.
On the flip side of that. This is my massage therapist I’ve had for 20 years. She is a 6 time world champion bodybuilder, but she is short. Using the height/weight calculation - she is considered obese. I don’t think she is.
BMI is a tool to look at a population. It was never meant for specific people. It wasn’t meant for athletes and for all intents, our military should be “athletes”.
It’s something that people don’t understand well and often people think they are more fit than they are.
I’m normally about 15% body fat. Right now because the holidays I’m at 18%. Most people estimate their muscle mass higher and their body fat lower.
When I was in high school wrestling we used to abuse our bodies and get below 5% body fat.
Today the State and Federal Associations won’t allow kids to go below 7%. The funny thing about my kid in high school is that he walked around at about 7.5% - 8% during the off season so he wasn’t even allowed to cut much weight.