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-   -   BMI & OSA: New Hurdles To Jump Thru For Medical Certification (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=106736)

Brantel 11-18-2013 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BJohnson (Post 827279)
According to the calculator, for someone 6ft 2in, that equates to a weight of 315lbs. Ideal weight for the same height is around 180 - 210. So this is more about 100 pounds overweight not 20 to 30 lbs. There are many other issues to be worried about at that weight. Something other than OSA will make the medical tough to keep. There already was a requirement to test for OSA if your neck size was greater than 18 inches.

I do not say this lightly. In 6 months I dopped 100 lbs this year through just controlling my consumption and working out . Talk about improved vitality! And the aircraft has gained 100 lbs of useful load without any mods. The human body is amazing on how it can correct itself if treated properly.

Yes, initially that is exactly right. What happens when they do what they say they are going to do in that memo and reduce the BMI to 35 or 30 or even less to meet their goal of finding all pilots with undiagnosed OSA?

While you should be very proud of your accomplishment at losing weight, the real challenge is keeping it off long term. I hope you can beat the statistical data that shows that on average those that are of a starting BMI of 30 or more typically fail to keep lost weight off long term. I sure hope you are the exception. I do not wish obesity on anyone. Great job!

Quote:

Originally Posted by BJohnson (Post 827279)
There already was a requirement to test for OSA if your neck size was greater than 18 inches.

I just searched the entire "2013 Guide For Aviation Medical Examiners" and found nothing that indicates this is true. Where did you learn this information?

There is a suggestion to be tested in the AIM for BMI's greater than 30 or neck sizes over 17" in men. This is not a requirement however to get issues a medical, only a suggestion.

Neal@F14 11-18-2013 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brantel (Post 827285)
Yes, initially that is exactly right. What happens when they do what they say they are going to do in that memo and reduce the BMI to 35 or 30 or even less to meet their goal of finding all pilots with undiagnosed OSA?

An AME over on the PoA forums said he believes the next target after BMI 40 is BMI 32.

tadsargent 11-18-2013 05:00 PM

Crazy point, using the simple method of height and weight LAbron James is overweight, who's going to tell him that. A calculator that does not measure your waist at the belly button is useless. The military and the YMCA use a more complex formula that has a greater accuracy. I hope the latter is used.

Brantel 11-18-2013 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neal@F14 (Post 827286)
An AME over on the PoA forums said he believes the next target after BMI 40 is BMI 32.

If that becomes the new limit, that means anything over 236 lbs for a 6' person will require a sleep study.

Brantel 11-18-2013 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tadsargent (Post 827287)
Crazy point, using the simple method of height and weight LAbron James is overweight, who's going to tell him that. A calculator that does not measure your waist at the belly button is useless. The military and the YMCA use a more complex formula that has a greater accuracy. I hope tha latter is used.

No such luck...

Straight from the FAA's 2013 Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners:

Formula: weight (lb) / [height (in)]2 x 703
Calculate BMI by dividing weight in pounds (lbs) by height in
inches (in) squared and multiplying by a conversion factor of 703.
Example: Weight = 150 lbs, Height = 5'5" (65")
Calculation: [150 ? (65)2] x 703 = 24.96

rhill 11-18-2013 05:19 PM

I read it on a T shirt. "Were the FAA were not happy till your Unhappy!":eek:

Low Pass 11-18-2013 05:22 PM

Where are the incidents that would have been prevented by this measure?

I thought so.

WhiskeyMike 11-18-2013 05:25 PM

Beware...
 
BMI does not account for the age, gender or muscle mass of the individual. It is a simpleton’s “one size fits all” metric that has zero medical diagnostic value. To use BMI as a single criterion for mandated OSA screening is completely disconnected from fact-based medical science, which tells us that it is politically motivated. Others can opine on the FAA’s true agenda in this case, but we’re seeing an alarming increase in “non-science-based science” trotted out by government agencies as the basis for new rules and regulations that limit citizen’s freedoms and liberties. BS indeed!!

Brantel 11-18-2013 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiskeyMike (Post 827302)
BMI does not account for the age, gender or muscle mass of the individual. It is a simpleton?s ?one size fits all? metric that has zero medical diagnostic value. To use BMI as a single criterion for mandated OSA screening is completely disconnected from fact-based medical science, which tells us that it is politically motivated. Others can opine on the FAA?s true agenda in this case, but we?re seeing an alarming increase in ?non-science-based science? trotted out by government agencies as the basis for rules and regulations that limit citizen?s freedoms and liberties. BS indeed!!

Exactly!!!!!!!

BillL 11-18-2013 06:15 PM

I thought it said . .
 
"Once we have appropriately dealt with every airman examinee
who has a BMI of 40 or greater, we will gradually expand the
testing pool by going to lower BMI measurements until we
have identified and assured treatment for every airman."


Well, too bad all medical records are at the IRS now, it makes it harder to cheat. My former employer had a program to "gently influence" us to be more healthy to lower health care costs. When it began, I reported way overweight and high blood pressure. Over the next 10 years, each 6 months I reported improvements in weight, BP, and diet until it finally reached my real numbers. I always got glowing (form) letters saying how proud they were for my improvements.


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