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BMI / weight help please

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Rondog

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Please can somebody put my mind at rest please. I am due to have my channel/euro tunnel (not eurostar) medical on Tuesday afternoon and I'm worried about my bmi. My bmi is 34 based on our scales. Does anyone know what the limit is??? Will 34 get me through as would hate to fail at the final hurdle. I have lost 2stone so far this year and am continuing to lose weight. Any other much appreciated
 
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FGW_DID

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Hopefully that shouldn't go against you unless they find some other underlying condition that can be related to it for example untreated sleep apnea.

As you say you have lost a lot of weight and continue to do so, the doctor should discuss your results and a frank discussion with them about your lifestyle and how you are making changes for the better wouldn't go amiss.

I had an almost similar issue, I'm not cleared for mainline but am cleared for depot driving.

Hope it all goes well for you!
 

causton

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I had a medical and my BMI is not exactly low, not sure of exact numbers, probably not 35 but a bit less, but not a word was said about it. (Unfortunately I failed on another part of it !) but there was no problem. At first my heart rate was too fast but I think that was because I was nervous as they did it again and it was back to normal levels!
 

Rondog

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Thanks for the replies. I hope all will be ok. I would hate to fall at te final hurdle. I can't find any info on it. Fingers crossed.
 
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Rondog

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My bmi is at 34. My blood pressure is very good. Do you think i will be ok??
 

reapz

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http://www.rgsonline.co.uk/Other_Or...odes of Practice (ACOP)/ATOCACOP005 Iss 1.pdf better guide
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
My bmi is at 34. My blood pressure is very good. Do you think i will be ok??

ye as i said before they are guides you can be a rugby players with a bmi of 45 does that make you unfit??!

When main thing they check is blood pressure, heart egc looking for defects ,eyesight , hearing.

dont let it worry you tbh as that will prob cause your heart to race and make your BP bad!


I did the same I checked my own BP and bmi at home with stuff from amazon and it was totally different scores to what the nurse got !



Just found this one

you must be generally fit and not grossly overweight. Body Mass Index should not normally exceed 33, however, the doctor may exercise discretion where there is no medical abnormality and mobility is not impaired. BMI should ideally not exceed 28 on entry.
 
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Rondog

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Thanks for that last post. It's made me feel a little more at ease. My hearing and sight are fine. Not sure what else they will look for
 

reapz

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Thanks for that last post. It's made me feel a little more at ease. My hearing and sight are fine. Not sure what else they will look for

No problem :) also they will check for sugar level in your urine and I had to touch my toes which I couldnt lol and she just laughed and said not many can!
 

TDK

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Please can somebody put my mind at rest please. I am due to have my channel/euro tunnel (not eurostar) medical on Tuesday afternoon and I'm worried about my bmi. My bmi is 34 based on our scales. Does anyone know what the limit is??? Will 34 get me through as would hate to fail at the final hurdle. I have lost 2stone so far this year and am continuing to lose weight. Any other much appreciated

33 bmi is usually the cut off, it is for cab ergonomics however Eurotunnel may be different as their cabs are not like sprinters etc.
 

Rondog

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Thanks for the replies. Like I say I'm at 34 bmi but I've seen current train drivers there who are a lot bigger than myself. Other than that I'm I'm pretty good health
 

TDK

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Thanks for the replies. Like I say I'm at 34 bmi but I've seen current train drivers there who are a lot bigger than myself. Other than that I'm I'm pretty good health

You will find the current drivers were 33 or less when they first started. It isn't your health as such the BMI is there for cab ergonomics.
 

route:oxford

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Please can somebody put my mind at rest please. I am due to have my channel/euro tunnel (not eurostar) medical on Tuesday afternoon and I'm worried about my bmi. My bmi is 34 based on our scales. Does anyone know what the limit is??? Will 34 get me through as would hate to fail at the final hurdle. I have lost 2stone so far this year and am continuing to lose weight. Any other much appreciated

As others have mentioned, you can be a strapping rugby player with very low body fat and have a high BMI...

But if you're not a strapping rugby player with low body fat, keep going with the weight management & fitness.

One thing to remember before you snack at work...

At an average £48K for a Eurostar Driver salary, every £2 of snacks you eat or drink during a working hour effectively cuts that hours salary by 12%
 

A-driver

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You will find the current drivers were 33 or less when they first started. It isn't your health as such the BMI is there for cab ergonomics.

Well that would be done on your physical sze then, nt BMI alone.

Having a high BMI doesn't automatically mean you are large. I am pretty skinny but have a high BMI.
 

Will.C

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Hopefully that shouldn't go against you unless they find some other underlying condition that can be related to it for example untreated sleep apnea.

How would sleep apnea effect you and how would they know that you've had it? I wasn't aware that it needed treating?
 

ralphchadkirk

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There is a large risk of unnoticed sleep deprivation with sleep apnoea, even if you think you have slept for a reasonable length of time.
 

TDK

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Well that would be done on your physical sze then, nt BMI alone.

Having a high BMI doesn't automatically mean you are large. I am pretty skinny but have a high BMI.

BMI - Body mass index - Height/Weight I doubt if you are skinny you have a high BMI it is calculated from your weight and height. There is a chart online if you have a search.
 

NI 271

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BMI - Body mass index - Height/Weight I doubt if you are skinny you have a high BMI it is calculated from your weight and height. There is a chart online if you have a search.

I used to play football at a reasonably decent level in my late teens/early 20s, and would have been thought of as 'skinny' (and I mean skinny, not 'athletic', or 'healthy') by anyone who saw me back then, much of my weight was (still is) in my arse/legs. Using BMI I would have been well into the 'overweight' category, which is absolutely ludicrous. I accept that in the majority of cases, it's probably fair, but not, by any means, in all.
 

Latecomer

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BMI - Body mass index - Height/Weight I doubt if you are skinny you have a high BMI it is calculated from your weight and height. There is a chart online if you have a search.

BMI measures are flawed however. Muscle weighs more than fat so someone with an athletic built can on paper appear to have an unhealthy BMI. Also there is no distinction between lean body mass and fat mass. Age is rarely factored in (someone who is older may appear skinny but has actually lost a lot of muscle with ageing and their BMI may be less than idea).

That is why a sensible medical (I think most in the rail industry are) will utilise other health tools such as ECG, blood pressure and pulmonary (lung function) tests and prioritise these over BMI.

I was accepted as a trainee with a higher than benchmark BMI but the other tests were fine. At our company people who were significantly above BMI benchmarks at their 5 year medicals have been assessed as to whether they can walk a mile and a quarter without discomfort and advised to lose weight. There are a great many people with relatively high BMI's who have better lung and cardio function than a lot of people who appear to be the ideal weight. That is not me advocating excess fat though!
 

A-driver

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BMI - Body mass index - Height/Weight I doubt if you are skinny you have a high BMI it is calculated from your weight and height. There is a chart online if you have a search.

It's quite common with people who don't physically put on weight but store it inside. Many people have a high BMI but are not fat to look at. At my last work medical I was told I was in the overweight category and had a BMI over 34 but certainly don't look at all chubby.
 

Bun

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To ease any worries unless your shaped liked humpty dumpty, even with a highish bmi you will be ok.

I'm 6ft and weigh 16 stone, certainly overweight and officially obese according to the bmi chart lol.

But the nurse and doctor at my recent train driver medical didn't even consider it an issue.
 

455driver

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No problem :) also they will check for sugar level in your urine and I had to touch my toes which I couldnt lol and she just laughed and said not many can!
The BMI thing is just a guide, if you are fit and healthy but of stocky build then you could well be above a BMI of 33, on the other hand if you are unhealthy and fat then you could have a BMI above 33 but below the stocky bloke, its the healthy bit that matters more.

I havent been able to touch my toes since I was about 12. :lol:
 

TDK

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The BMI thing is just a guide, if you are fit and healthy but of stocky build then you could well be above a BMI of 33, on the other hand if you are unhealthy and fat then you could have a BMI above 33 but below the stocky bloke, its the healthy bit that matters more.

I havent been able to touch my toes since I was about 12. :lol:

I haven't seen my toes since I was 12 but have a BMI of 26 :)
 

Rondog

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So quick question, how do you pass/fail the medical? Are there some tests that result in an automatic fail like eyesight or hearin? How do they work it all out?
 

A-driver

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So quick question, how do you pass/fail the medical? Are there some tests that result in an automatic fail like eyesight or hearin? How do they work it all out?

Well if you fail the eyesight they send you to get glasses then come back. If you still fail with glasses or can't see unaided 3/60(I think?) then its an instant fail, for a new or existing driver. Hearing is similar except you can't wear a hearing aid to correct it.

Things like blood pressure, ECG and weight are more down to other factors and not an instant fail. Conditions like epilepsy are an instant fail normally. Obviously if you are wheelchair bound or similar you won't get through either.

Its a mix if what is safety related (eyesight & hearing), what is practicle (fitting in the cab, getting in the cab and walking a mile and a quater in ballast) and what the company things is viable in a business sense(if they take you on and train you with high blood pressure are they going to have to loose you after a year or 2 as other more serious conditions have developed).
 

Latecomer

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So quick question, how do you pass/fail the medical? Are there some tests that result in an automatic fail like eyesight or hearin? How do they work it all out?

I believe you are on the right lines. There are set criteria for hearing and sight but although there are benchmarks for things like BMI and BP they are not so clear cut. There will be a degree of interpretation by the assessor and by the company. TOC's are more wary of denying someone a job on being a bit overweight as it could be subject to challenge unless there are other health issues.
 

FGW_DID

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Hopefully that shouldn't go against you unless they find some other underlying condition that can be related to it for example untreated sleep apnea.

How would sleep apnea effect you and how would they know that you've had it? I wasn't aware that it needed treating?

As someone has already mentioned although you may think you have slept, the sleep was probably disturbed which may lead to loss of concentration, excessive tiredness during the day and in severe cases falling asleep.

As for how would they know, they wouldn't if you didn't declare it on your medical questionnaire (as long as you knew you had it), perhaps I should have worded it a bit bettering the original post! Also perhaps I should have used controlled rather then treated.
 

TDK

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To ease any worries unless your shaped liked humpty dumpty, even with a highish bmi you will be ok.

I'm 6ft and weigh 16 stone, certainly overweight and officially obese according to the bmi chart lol.

But the nurse and doctor at my recent train driver medical didn't even consider it an issue.

But that gives you a BMI of 30.4 so well inside the requirement
 
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