New DOT Physical Requirements?

I got this from the cdc explaining the BMI

If an athlete or other person with a lot of muscle has a BMI over 25, is that person still considered to be overweight?
According to the BMI weight status categories, anyone with a BMI over 25 would be classified as overweight and anyone with a BMI over 30 would be classified as obese.
It is important to remember, however, that BMI is not a direct measure of body fatness and that BMI is calculated from an individual's weight which includes both muscle and fat. As a result, some individuals may have a high BMI but not have a high percentage of body fat. For example, highly trained athletes may have a high BMI because of increased muscularity rather than increased body fatness. Although some people with a BMI in the overweight range (from 25.0 to 29.9) may not have excess body fatness, most people with a BMI in the obese range (equal to or greater than 30) will have increased levels of body fatness.
It is also important to remember that weight is only one factor related to risk for disease. If you have questions or concerns about the appropriateness of your weight, you should discuss them with your healthcare provider.

How reliable is BMI as an indicator of body fatness?
The correlation between the BMI number and body fatness is fairly strong; however the correlation varies by sex, race, and age. These variations include the following examples: 3, 4

• At the same BMI, women tend to have more body fat than men.
• At the same BMI, older people, on average, tend to have more body fat than younger adults.
• Highly trained athletes may have a high BMI because of increased muscularity rather than increased body fatness.

It is also important to remember that BMI is only one factor related to risk for disease. For assessing someone's likelihood of developing overweight- or obesity-related diseases, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines recommend looking at two other predictors:

• The individual's waist circumference (because abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related diseases).
• Other risk factors the individual has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity).

yes the army uses a tape test, but the height and weight chart is from the BMI, and the tape test is the best thing to measure the body fat (with out having to get into a tank of water)

 

I just had a physical last week and I was weighed and my height measured but that was as far as that went. She then had me pee in a bottle, checked for color blindness, checked my vision with glasses, hearing, bend, squat, heart, ears and turn my head and cough, she then left the room said to get dressed and she would be back in a minute. When she came back she said my urine looked ok, no high sugar levels or anything like that.
She had the person at the desk give me my card and long form and said "have a nice day and drive carefully."

 

i think they should be stricter I have seen guys that can hardley get into there trucks and never mind even tie there shoes hell I even saw a guy the other day that had only one leg getting out of the drivers seat.

 

the army version is dumb....according to it i am under wieght...always have been
but it is not fair....and the tape can be fooled...trust me i have a few overwieght soldiers that shouldnt be able to pass but they do by scrunchin or streching certian areas
the pt test isnt the best but i think everyone should have to do some version of a fitness test

 

While I was in the Service, my body size I could not be no heavier than 195LBS. They would change the weight at anygiven time and place you over the limits. WHich they did. They changed the requirements, and my Command did not like me so they called me out just to do the test. It went from 205 for me down to 195 and the next day I was put on the Fat Boy Program.

I know I am not skinny, never had been. But I still could do the Job no matter what they said. Now since I been out of the Service, my weight has shot up some, but I am still not a FAT Slob. I do have a Big Belly, but rest of my body would appear to be slim in comparasion to others.. I do not have a large Behind, even wearing a belt, I have to becareful not to have my pants fall off. Do I eat Buffets all the time? No in reality I eat so little a Sparrow would starve to death. Am I a Beer drinker? No I am as sober as sober can get, so it's not a real beer belly either.. So Why am I so big? Cause right now I sit infront of a computer and if I am not here, I'll be sleeping, which is rare.. I do not drive anywhere, I walk to the store. If I could or if my wife would allow me, I would walk everywhere. But she does not like to walk in the sun, she Does not want to get darker (filipina). Then there are days It's hard for me to walk from the Bed to the Computer, Gout in the feet, ankle or Knees. No Not from Drinking, but from Uritic Acid.

So why is it everyone against a Big person from Working? As long as they can do the Job allow them to work. I'm not small, I do have medical problems but I want to work. My heart is fine, my Clesatroal(sp) level is Great (eat Eggs and Beacon all the time). As long as I am not a threat to having a heart attack while Driving why would the DOT worry about a person size? I met a Driver going home after having a heart attack while Driving, He was much smaller than my self (skinny). So Size really has nothing to do with it....

 

If they use this newer type of physical to get rid of over weight drivers. Who is going to fill the seats when they are gone? There seems to be at least a 10:1 ratio of over weight drivers to those who are on the money. Maybe the new trucking adds will have, "We have bi-paps in all trucks".

 

I just took my recertification DOT and it was the same as all the others I have taken.

 

Now the medical professionals are starting to come out and say that the BMI test is not the perfect measure that they thought it was. Skinny people can be fat on the inside, and vice versa. I am overweight, always have been. But I am very active, my BP is great, my blood sugar is great, and my cholesterol is an enviable 151. There are plenty of skinny folks out there that are a heart attack waiting to happen. I could definitely stand to lose some weight, but I am happy with how healthy that I am. I will be walking 60 miles in 3 days for breast cancer awareness in a few months; many skinny folks couldn't do that.

 

Why is it that I never hear someone complaining about the Canadian drivers that are here doing the same thing? I bet you cant without demonstrating what a bigot and a racist you are.