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The problem is that while we know there is a definitive link between weight/lifestyle and overall health we also know that there are so many exceptions to that general trend as to make it meaningless to an individual. One of my bestfriends is obese. She is about 5'6, maybe 220. She also is a field biologist, walks a minimum of 5+ miles a day as part of her job (and more as she does agility with her dogs like I do) and is a vegetarian. She is metabolically very healthy, even after a lifetime of being well with in the obese range.
Should she lose weight? Sure. Will it make a whole lot of difference to someone who has no ill effects from 20 years of being fat? Probably not.
I am 5'4", and when I was a young woman, my waist was 22", and now at 62, it is still "only" 26 inches. According to the following calculator, I was "abnormally slim to underweight", and I am now, supposedly, "extremely slim". Yeah, right . . . in my dreams!! Although I had and still have an hourglass shape, my legs have almost always been very heavy and fatty, and so have my upper arms, although to a lesser extent.
I think that as long as you can walk up two or three flights of stairs without pausing for breath, your blood pressure is normal, and as long as your doctor says your health is fine, then that should be enough!
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Tell me about it. I had a coworker who was "caught" at 5 feet and 96 lbs for being Apple shaped with a 25 inch waist and 32 inch hips in her 60's. Both her 6 lb. children were born by C-Section because of her very small pelvis. Maybe she should have a 20 inch waist to meet these other standards? For what it's worth, her job entailed lifting children out of wheelchairs to change their diapers. She was told she needed to go to a GYM to decrease her waist size!!!! She told our employer that at her age, weight, and job requirements, do you WANT to kill me????
I am 5'4", and when I was a young woman, my waist was 22", and now at 62, it is still "only" 26 inches. According to the following calculator, I was "abnormally slim to underweight", and I am now, supposedly, "extremely slim". Yeah, right . . . in my dreams!! Although I had and still have an hourglass shape, my legs have almost always been very heavy and fatty, and so have my upper arms, although to a lesser extent.
I think that as long as you can walk up two or three flights of stairs without pausing for breath, your blood pressure is normal, and as long as your doctor says your health is fine, then that should be enough!
The WHR has a top number, basically for women usually under 35 is fine. Though there is some variant related to height. I think as for setting a too small? Well I don't know if you can! My mom has an 18" in her early 20s before kids! She is more pear shaped and also has "big arms!" She was pretty skinny back then, but not unhealthily so.
The evidence essentially says, it really doesn't matter how big your butt is as long as your waist is small enough. The unhealthy fat is the type that gathers around your waist and causes health problems. So if you don't have much there you have few worries. That feels a lot more reliable than a random ratio.
Back in 1999 they changed the BMI (lowered) and tens of millions of people became "obese" overnight.
The same way what is considered high blood pressure was changed, some say in order to push blood pressure medications to a higher percentage of patients.
BMI assumes all higher weights are attributable to being unfit or fat. There are very fit muscular people who land in the obese range of BMI. They don't have an extra scrap of fat on them.
The problem is that while we know there is a definitive link between weight/lifestyle and overall health we also know that there are so many exceptions to that general trend as to make it meaningless to an individual. One of my bestfriends is obese. She is about 5'6, maybe 220. She also is a field biologist, walks a minimum of 5+ miles a day as part of her job (and more as she does agility with her dogs like I do) and is a vegetarian. She is metabolically very healthy, even after a lifetime of being well with in the obese range.
Should she lose weight? Sure. Will it make a whole lot of difference to someone who has no ill effects from 20 years of being fat? Probably not.
Being obese is never healthy.
'Healthy Obesity' Is Mainly A Myth, Study Finds
The researchers then looked at a larger group of participants, consisting of 389 “healthy obese.” After 10 years, 35% had become “unhealthy obese”; after 15 years, it had risen to 38%, and to 48% after 20 years. Just 10% of the original healthy obese had lost the weight to became “healthy non-obese” after 20 years. Which prompted the authors to suggest that the “natural course of healthy obesity is progression to metabolic deterioration.”
The problem is that while we know there is a definitive link between weight/lifestyle and overall health we also know that there are so many exceptions to that general trend as to make it meaningless to an individual. One of my bestfriends is obese. She is about 5'6, maybe 220. She also is a field biologist, walks a minimum of 5+ miles a day as part of her job (and more as she does agility with her dogs like I do) and is a vegetarian. She is metabolically very healthy, even after a lifetime of being well with in the obese range.
Should she lose weight? Sure. Will it make a whole lot of difference to someone who has no ill effects from 20 years of being fat? Probably not.
"Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin' world go round"
If you're fat, take a look at the age brackets and you'll see a clear culling of the herd around the 60's. Ignore whatever metric you want, play word games, diet games whatever you want to do. In the end, it's your ass that is going to be culled. Pick if you want to go early or later.
BMI is fine for what it is. Just because it's not a perfect measurement for everyone doesn't mean it should be thrown out so over weight people don't feel shamed.
The same way what is considered high blood pressure was changed, some say in order to push blood pressure medications to a higher percentage of patients.
BMI assumes all higher weights are attributable to being unfit or fat. There are very fit muscular people who land in the obese range of BMI. They don't have an extra scrap of fat on them.
And if you are one of those people you know you are fit. For the average sedentary american? BMI is plenty accurate for statistical purposes.
If you're fat, take a look at the age brackets and you'll see a clear culling of the herd around the 60's. Ignore whatever metric you want, play word games, diet games whatever you want to do. In the end, it's your ass that is going to be culled. Pick if you want to go early or later.
BMI is fine for what it is. Just because it's not a perfect measurement for everyone doesn't mean it should be thrown out so over weight people don't feel shamed.
And if you are one of those people you know you are fit. For the average sedentary american? BMI is plenty accurate for statistical purposes.
That is largely what I was going to say. Maybe 2% of men are true BMI outliers, low body fat with a BMI greater than 25, and they are well aware they are outliers, in fact the majority of thise outliers are taking PEDs to achieve it. On the other hand for every guy that is a true outlier there are probably five that think they are outliers but are not legit low body fat.
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