Super fit personal trainer and champion bodybuilder told she's OBESE by bungling NHS nurse who claimed her BMI was too high and told her to 'eat less move more'
- Anita Albrecht from London told she was obese and to start drastic diet
- But nurse did not take into account muscle weighs more than fat
- The 39-year-old weighs around 9st 10 when competing
- The personal trainer placed sixth in Miss Galaxy Universe in 2012
- Already follows strict diet and consumes just 1,800 calories
- Now warning athletes about misleading nature of body mass index
As a professional bodybuilder and personal trainer, Anita Albrecht’s toned physique is her living.
But on a routine visit to an NHS clinic she was stunned to be told she needed to lose weight.
After being asked to step on to the scales, she was informed she was borderline obese based on her body mass index.
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Anita Albrecht, from Harold Hill, East London was told told she was 'eating too much' and needed to go on a drastic diet
A nurse then told her she needed to begin a 1,000 calorie-a-day diet, which is half the recommended amount for a woman.
Miss Albrecht, 39, yesterday said: ‘The information the nurse has given me is actually dangerous.
‘A thousand calories a day is only for people who are severely obese who are not active. They should only be on that for a maximum of 12 weeks – generally as a precursor to surgery.’
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Health officials have been accused of slavishly following BMI scales – calculated by dividing weight by height – without taking into account individual circumstances.
The measurement was developed in the first half of the 19th century and critics say it provides inaccurate results for some people, including rugby players with lots of muscle and tall people.
Miss Albrecht, who finished sixth in the 2012 Miss Galaxy Universe bodybuilding competition, visited a family planning clinic at Harold Hill Health Centre near her home in east London on March 5.
The advice came as Miss Albrecht visited the walk in family planning clinic near her home earlier this month
At 4ft 11in and weighing 10st 3lb, she was found to have a BMI of 29. A ‘healthy’ BMI is between 18.5 and 25, a score of 25-29 is classed as ‘overweight’ and anything above 30 is ‘obese’.
Miss Albrecht said she was speaking about her ordeal to prevent other women receiving dangerous ‘misinformation’.
‘The nurse said, “You are obviously eating too much” … without asking about my lifestyle, eating habits, taking into account body composition and so on.
‘It left me feeling belittled, insulted and confused.’ During the appointment to review her contraception, Miss Albrecht was told to exercise more and cut alcohol and fruit juice.
She added: ‘For nine months of the year I don’t even drink as I am a competitive athlete. I was made to feel as though I was overweight, over-eating and I felt a knock in my confidence.’
The health centre and an NHS England spokesman both declined to comment yesterday.
HOW BMI IS CALCULATED AND THE RISKS OF BEING OVER OR UNDERWEIGHT
According to the NHS, body mass index is a measure of whether you are a healthy weight for your height.
It is calculated by taking your weight in kilograms and dividing it by your height in metres squared.
A BMI calculation producing a body fat percentage of 18.5 to 24.9 is normal, but anything from 25 to 29.9 is classed as overweight, which can put people at a higher risk of diabetes and high blood pressure.
A figure of 30 to 39.9 is classed as obese, which also carries the risks of certain types of cancer and stroke.
Anything above 40 is morbidly obese and weight loss surgery may be offered.
A BMI calculation of below 18.5 is considered underweight. This can also cause risks such as a low immune system, osteoporosis and fertility problems as periods can become interrupted.
The skin caliper test, which also measures body fat percentage is often considered a better way of assessing a persons weight.
The caliper is used to measure the thickness of the skin and the underlying layer of fat and does not take into account muscle, which weighs more than fat.
Video: anitaalbrecht.com
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