Permanently Medically Unfit

[Njochara]

Hello,
Thank you for letting me join and post.
That last think I want to appear like, is that crazy American soldiers mother.
My son received his report from Capita, stating that he is "Permanently medically unfit, the reason for this is due to your BMI which is 36 not the required 32"
His AFCO were quite informative about the amount of rugby he would end up playing.
He weight trains, plays rugby, he played for his wing while a cadet.
Going to the AFCO tomorrow for advice and we've already written an appeal letter asking for them to respectfully reconsider the permanence of this decision, because he can train down his BMI. Taking this tomorrow too.

Has anybody had any luck with this type of appeal?
Naturally the forces want the best of the best, to us it seems uneasonably permanent, when BMI can indeed be changed. This was the only reason stated on the report.


Many thanks for taking the time if you read this and respond.

Warm regards
Nicola.

 

[Digzster]

It defies logic sometimes that the military can be like this.
When they first started looking at BMI's years ago, my nephew was applying for the RAF.

He also was a very good rugby player (prop forward) built like the proverbial S*** house with not an ounce of fat on him.

He may have been large, but he was extremely fit and surprisingly fast at running.

Needless to say, he had to dull down his fitness state to gain entry whereupon the first thing when spotted by the RAF rugby scouts said was to put it all on again! BARKING! but that is the way it is.

Persevere in his application. As with anything in the military, smile and nod......then get on with it.

 

[Barch]

One of my lineys on XI was in tears one afternoon after coming back from his pre fitters course medical, he was second row for the station and also failed due to his BMI.

I got straight on the phone to the SNCO is Med Ctr to find out what was going on and he explained the BMI system.

I proposed that he had the liney back and to check his muscle mass, needless to say he came back fully fit.

 

[ninjarabbi]

I still recollect back in the early 90's when people were being medically downgraded for being overweight and this included rugby players and weight-lifters. Us medics thought it was crazy but it didn't come from our side of house, we were just the poor fools who had to implement this insanity. BMI charts are, IMHO, worthless.

But to get to issue the OP's offspring has. To the best of my knowledge no-one whose BMI is over the limits on attempting to join the RAF should be made permanently unfit. They should be made temporarily unfit for a specified period of time to allow themselves to lose the weight. I don't know if this has changed recently but that was the case around 4-5 months ago.

 

[SAXAVORDIAN]

I remember the BMI waffle before I left in Oct 1990 as also the blip test for the BFT. For me being a 17st second row rugby player and playing five a side footie for 2 hrs I could quite happily done the 1.5 mile BFT no problem. But when I had to do the blip test with a busted tendon on the rib effectively failed me for extending my service. I seem to recall I had a high bmi reading also. While also I remember a station weightlifter competitor cpl at 17st who had muscles on his teeth failed the bmi. To me the Blip test was an easy way of failing fairly fit airman as much as the bmi was also.

 

[ninjarabbi]

People are getting hung up on phraseology here. At that point of application they are PMU because there BMI is to big. If it stays at that level they stay PMU. Lose some weight, reapply and it will be fine.

My point is that they shouldn't be made PMU. The decision was made that they should be made TMU since BMI isn't a medical condition. Perhaps someone in recruiting has changed the policy (again) but I thought in today's climate it would make sense to give people a chance to lose the weight without penalising them with the stigma of being made PMU.

 

[ninjarabbi]

They do have a chance to lose weight and are told so. They are only PMU until they lose the weight. TMU/PMU it doesn't really matter, become less "fat" and you'll be in. Stay "fat", stay PMU.

Do you know the months of agonising, wailing and gnashing of teeth that went into trying to decide exactly what to call it? The hours, no, weeks of meetings where very senior people argued about exactly what to call the policy? Honestly, it was hilarious DT_Xtremez_21:

 

[Henry Courtney]

BMI

BMI

When I joined in 93, at the same attestation, was a lovely, shy, retiring lady who was the South of England Power lifting champion.

She too, was failed on BMI, but on 'robust' appeal was accepted.

Rumour at the time was her offering to press the doctor above her head whilst in her smalls after asking, what fat should I lose, I'm not carrying any fat?

 

[ninjarabbi]

When I joined in 93, at the same attestation, was a lovely, shy, retiring lady who was the South of England Power lifting champion.

She too, was failed on BMI, but on 'robust' appeal was accepted.

Rumour at the time was her offering to press the doctor above her head whilst in her smalls after asking, what fat should I lose, I'm not carrying any fat?

Unfortunately BMI is a poor indicator or a person's fitness and doesn't take into account muscle mass especially for the body builders and rugby players amongst us. There was a study on the whole BMI issue, I'll try to find it and post a link.

 

[vim_fuego]

On going through OASC and after the height weight check I was called back in to see the Gp Cpt Doc who ran the joint...I was still wearing the blue towelling dressing gown that was stretched over my then rugby-honed torso. He asked me to split it off and stand in front of him. He then asked me to put it back on and said I was fine and that was that. Common sense prevailed.

Now I don't think that dressing gown would be decent or legal in a public place if I was to try it on again!

 

[Talk Wrench]

I know of a recent entrant to the RAF who was told his BMI was out of limits but this was "waived" because his waist measurement's etc were all good. This is a kid who works out, plays rugby, referees football and is fitter than most.

I'll ask him exactly what happened and his Capita dealt with this.

Sent from my Cyanogen mod OS phone using Forum Runner

 

[Njochara]

Thank you all for taking the time to respond.
My son went to the AFCO, and the Sergeant there told him not to worry as it happened to him too, and to get a doctor's letter; to go with the appeal letter.
He has an appointment with the GP the end of this month, and has started Crossfit. He's currently aching from head to foot.
My dad, who got my brother fit running miles flapping like a bird - he's a bit crazy. But my brother was fitter than the PTI going in has offered to train him too. We all know, how some 19 year olds can be, I think he's a bit wary as my dad's bought a huge tyre for him to run with!

He's aiming to get his BMI down by the GP appointment as evidence he can do it.
Fingers crossed, all will go well.

Again, many thanks. I'll update in the future.