https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 02 May 2026 18:37:56 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1654212 Fri, 23 May 2014 07:03:17 +0000 hotchildinthecity 1654212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@spaniellove: i imagine they're much less stringent in order to keep kids in-country, as that is their goal</p> <p>.@locavore_mama: oh, you mean like from us foster care? I cant imagine they have any sort of weight or bmi requirement here in the us. And yes, you do have to adopt through the agency in korea, although my future son is in a foster home, not an orphanage. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1654163 Fri, 23 May 2014 06:19:30 +0000 looch 1654163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't find it that strange (not that I agree with the rule), but isn't thinness a feature that is prized in Asia? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1654156 Fri, 23 May 2014 06:16:14 +0000 regberadaisy 1654156@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hotchildinthecity: yes, that Vs foster kids. I know someone who adopted her foster kids that will fail this requirement 5x over. . </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1654155 Fri, 23 May 2014 06:08:59 +0000 spaniellove 1654155@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@locavore_mama: @hotchildinthecity: I think I remember reading that it's illegal to adopt outside of an agency in Korea so everyone is stuck with those rules. </p> <p>I wonder if their requirements for domestic couples are less stringent because they want to prefer to keep children in the country. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1654106 Fri, 23 May 2014 05:18:46 +0000 lamariniere 1654106@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow, I had no idea! I agree, a physical would be much more telling than BMI. I'm glad you both passed though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653829 Thu, 22 May 2014 21:48:15 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 1653829@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That's ridiculous. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653810 Thu, 22 May 2014 21:41:25 +0000 mrs.shinerbock 1653810@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hotchildinthecity: There might be other countries that do require BMI, but of the 12 or so that we looked at, the only ones that did were in Asia. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653779 Thu, 22 May 2014 21:34:26 +0000 CupQuakeWalk 1653779@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1) bmi is complete crap and shouldn't be used as a standard to determine someone's health by any means.<br /> 2) who the fuck cares?!? Someone wants to take a child out of an orphanage and give them everything they need and all the love in the world. Why try and stand in their way? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653740 Thu, 22 May 2014 21:19:43 +0000 yoursilverlining 1653740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow; I had no idea there would be any sort of weight/build requirements, maybe outside of a standard physical (and even that I wouldn't have assumed). I think that rule is complete bull shit. It isn't like skinny parents are always involved and active with their kids or healthy - maybe they are skinny because they are in the gym 24/7 by themselves, or have unhealthy relationships with food, or starve themselves or whatever else. </p> <p>I can't believe that a country would rather have children remain orphans than adopt them out to otherwise loving, stable homes where the parents are overweight (although I know BMI doesn't even mean you are overweight; it's such crap on its own). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653728 Thu, 22 May 2014 21:15:38 +0000 hotchildinthecity 1653728@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs.shinerbock: i did not realize asia was the only ones with bmi requirements. We were not able to do other programs for various reasons. Central/south america required too long of a stay, eastern europe had school-aged children and older, and africa required you be married 5 years (we're 4 next month) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653706 Thu, 22 May 2014 21:06:43 +0000 MsLipGloss 1653706@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs.shinerbock: oh wow :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653692 Thu, 22 May 2014 21:01:53 +0000 mrs.shinerbock 1653692@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsLipGloss: yeah, they shut off all adoptions pretty abruptly a few years ago, even couples who had been matched with a child but hadn't finished the process were SOL. There were a bunch of Russian politicians calling for all Russian adoptees to be sent back to Russia.</p> <p>When we were looking at countries to pursue an international adoption, the only countries that had BMI requirements were in Asia. The other countries required a physical, which I think is much more reasonable and realistic predictor of your health. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653649 Thu, 22 May 2014 20:48:31 +0000 MsLipGloss 1653649@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hotchildinthecity: closed as in couples can no longer adopt Russian children? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653623 Thu, 22 May 2014 20:42:17 +0000 hotchildinthecity 1653623@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrsjazz: i'm not sure actually!! We were so freakin worried about qualifying and we know the country is soooo specific!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653621 Thu, 22 May 2014 20:41:25 +0000 mrsjazz 1653621@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow. I never knew BMI was a requirement. I hate BMI! Glad you made it, but would you automatically be rejected if you hadn't? Even if everything else looked great? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653613 Thu, 22 May 2014 20:39:43 +0000 Boheme 1653613@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>BMI is so much crap! I'm sorry you're having to jump through all these silly hoops to get to your little one :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653513 Thu, 22 May 2014 20:20:54 +0000 hotchildinthecity 1653513@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: oh definitely. I think it closed maybe 5 years ago? </p> <p>@locavore_mama: i'm not sure what you're referring to? We're adopting a waiting child who was processed through a government adoption agency in korea. We wont ever deal directly with the parents as they relinquished rights long ago. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653393 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:59:52 +0000 BSB 1653393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hotchildinthecity: Sadly the popularity of adopting from an asian country is so high that these country can put high 'standards' for potential adoptees. :/</p> <p>I'm hoping they can come to an agreement about adopting children from Vietnam. It's currently closed. Maybe we'll see by the time I want LO #2 or #3. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653388 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:59:07 +0000 Smurfette 1653388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hotchildinthecity: It was like 10 or 11 years ago(I can't remember how old he is) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653356 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:53:38 +0000 regberadaisy 1653356@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hotchildinthecity: is this only for private adoption? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653332 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:50:12 +0000 hotchildinthecity 1653332@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Smurfette: yes and russian adoptions are now closed as you probably know and they may have not had a weight requirement.</p> <p>China's requirement is a bmi of 40 and my social worker told me some people go there for that reason. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653314 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:46:41 +0000 blackbird 1653314@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>BMI is such a bullshit number. You know my thoughts on this! Body fat is way more important </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653305 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:44:25 +0000 Smurfette 1653305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had no clue this was a requirement.</p> <p>I know a couple that used to be very overweight but adopted from Russia. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653300 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:43:09 +0000 hotchildinthecity 1653300@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluestriped bee: exactly. And i'm 20 lbs over my ideal weight right now due to my struggles with pcos/infertility that led me to adoption in the first place. So its confusing/frustrating and a bit embarassing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653283 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:37:58 +0000 Greentea 1653283@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What the whaaaat?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653274 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:35:48 +0000 Cole 1653274@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had no idea that was a potential requirement! I feel like it would make more sense for them to have a detailed questionnaire for a doctor to fill out with the doctor eventually signing off on you being healthy enough. I suppose though even there you would run into a lot of judgement calls on the part of the doctors. When I was in France and wanted to take scuba diving lessons I needed a physical first. I was shocked when he had me do burpees for a minute and then checked my heart rate and then checked it again a few minutes later to see how well it came back down. That would be a far better indicator of someone's health and fitness. BUT-- there are so many wonderful and phenomenal parents out there who aren't going to meet the cut off no matter where they put it. I get why they came up with the requirement but I really can't decide how I feel about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653242 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:31:13 +0000 BSB 1653242@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow! I didn't know. I know Asian countries can have certain standards/requirements to adopt but that seems a bit harsh. I know some asian countries will only allow 'traditionally' married couples adopt. It sucks.</p> <p>I think my DH might struggle with the BMI requirement because of his health. I wonder if we would look weaker because of his health. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653241 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:31:12 +0000 hotchildinthecity 1653241@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Raindrop: thats the exact picture i always think about!</p> <p>@Mrs. Pen: i get it in that sense, but i would think maybe a body fat measurement or even sizes might be more telling! I'm glad we "passed" but it was close! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653238 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:30:25 +0000 Mrs. Pen 1653238@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hotchildinthecity: also, I agree that it is antiquated. Wouldn't it be more effective to require a physical from a doctor with certain health parameters that must be met? Or even just body-fat calculating as opposed to a BMI. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/bmi-requirements-for-adoption#post-1653234 Thu, 22 May 2014 19:29:00 +0000 Raindrop 1653234@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm always reminded of this when people talk about BMI.</p> <p>But I do understand how it's a "quick" way to tell if you are potentially healthy or not. </p> [attach=2890/14/n6040c.400x409.bmi-comparison.gif]