What does fat look like?
BMI (body mass index) is a number health professionals use to classify patients into categories based on their weigh. It’s a simple equation that gives a simple answer, and not always the most accurate one.
BMI is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. The equation spits out a nice, round, double digit number. The numbers are then grouped and used to slap a label on a person’s health.
A BMI of 25 or less classifies a person of being of normal weight, if the number is 25-29, the person is overweight, and 30 and above is obese.
I think it’s pretty obvious to see the issue here, but just in case, here is an example of why BMI fails: a 5’8” female athlete that weighs 200 pounds has the same BMI, and same health classification, as a 5’8” sedentary woman that weighs 200 pounds. It doesn’t take the quality of a person’s body mass into account. The female athlete is solid muscle, eats flawlessly and is as healthy as they come, yet the sedentary women is over fat, has a poor diet and in danger of type II diabetes, but when it comes to BMI, the equation doctors use, they are the same.
Usually, especially in America, if someone rings in with a BMI of 30 or above, they are indeed obese, but just like with everything, it’s not absolute. More often what happens, however, is BMI gives those classified as normal a false sense of security, letting them think that just because they are not overweight, they are healthy.
What’s my point? Women are obsessed with being thin. Somehow, eating right and exercising got the label of being for weight loss, instead of health. (I’ll say it again, everyone needs to exercise!!) I;m sure you know someone, or have at least heard a female celebrity say, ”Oh, I don’t workout or watch what I eat. I am just naturally thin.”
Don’t envy them, because they are probably fatter than you.
Side note: when celebrites say that, they are usually lying. But when your coworker/friend/sister says they don’t exercise or watch what they eat and never gain a pound, it’s like bragging about smoking, or driving drunk. Its dangerous and unhealthy.
Yes, it is true. Some people’s body types and metabolisms make it hard for them to gain weight. But just because they can eat fast food and not gain a pound, it doesn’t make them healthy, and it doesn’t mean they don;t have excess body fat.
You may have heard the term “skinny fat,” but if you haven’t, it refers to people who are technically at a healthy weight but also technically over fat due to poor nutrition and lack of exercise.
No matter what your size, if you have a high percentage of fat on your body compared to your lean mass, you are over-fat, and at risk for obesity related diseases like hight blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke and diabetes.
Everyone has to exercise and eat healthy, even it you don’t need to lose weight. Health is what matters, not pants size.
