Normoweight as a minority?

[RunningPirate]

You know, you didn't look 205lb in your old profile pic. What I saw was a guy in good shape really enjoying his meal. (Can't say anything about your current pic, since it's from the side.) But hey, pics are pics. It's really about how you feel about yourself.

Well thank you - I'm about the same weight as I was in the old pic (old pic was taken during a trip in New Orleans; new pic was taken during Thanksgiving week - both involved lots of food )

As for how I feel about myself, I do have my body image issues, so the thinner/lighter I am, the better I feel about myself. Also, I'm so vain, Carly Simon wrote a song about me, so that probably plays into it as well

 

[flammee]

I hear you. I assume you mean that it is theoretically possible for you to lose 20lbs of fat, albeit a Herculean feat? I've definitely felt that way a few times!

Nor I. 29.4 is not obese!

That does suck. Insurance companies are in the business of making money by assessing risk. Health care is ancillary. I was told a long time ago that that insurance companies only care about health/longevity from a statistical standpoint.

Well, there's some health risks with being muscled also, because there's always a possibility that guy is using some steroids, with unhealthy side effects. So, statistically using just bmi value for assessing risks might not actually be so bad idea..

My BMI is by the way 20,5, I am 182 cm tall and my weight is somewhere around 68 kg. I haven't had any serious troubles in my weight management, I just don't eat lot and tolerate hunger quite well. Not that I like being hungry, but it doesn't make me eat instantly when I feel hungry. If I have something interesting to do, eating can wait for few hours.

 

[scedastic]

On a serious note, I think the deal is that society still frowns on making comments on someone who looks overweight (apparently only if you aren't related-----from reading previous posts---jeesh), but for some reason the angry comments directed at those who do not appear overweight are still acceptable. That's where the snark gets annoying to those of us who either work hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle or have worked hard to start living healthfully.

Also, by the way, BMI is the only super cheap statistically associated factor with being unhealthy weight so far, but very crude indeed. Insurance companies just care about the stats. The variation makes it a not so great predictor, and researchers are lookign for better, but haven't found one that's so easy and quick and cheap as BMI. It's crude, but it works sort of most of the time over large numbers of people (not very many of which are weight lifters, you know?).
On the other hand, they should at least be downweighting (no pun intended) the BMI number based on lifestyle factors (like weight lifting or having lots of muscle or small frame or large frame etc), but I don't think they've found a consistent way to get that information (self reporting is atrociously inaccurate).

 

[scedastic]

on the other hand, i just calculated what my weight would have to be to get into the overweight BMI category, and I would have to be huge by my standards. huge.
no way that would be muscle on a woman with my frame size. And just under that, I can't imagine I would be livign a healthy lifestyle to be that weight that would put me on the upper edge of 'normal', but I could tell myself and my doc that i was still in the 'normal' category.

 

[scedastic]

and on that note, don't they adjust the categories for gender?

 

[scedastic]

oh yeah, waist circumference, that's the new thing

 

[Sid]

and on that note, don't they adjust the categories for gender?

Same formula for everyone, but different cutoffs for children. Usually, growth charts are used for kids' height and weight, such as when you take them to the pediatrician. That way, there's no need to calculate anything, and they can use the same paper chart over the years to plot the child's personal growth curve.

 

[OdiarAmor]

I cannot stand those growth charts for kids... They do not take into account children who are breastfed. There are two different different charts that are out there. The most up to date chart was taken with information from I believe 13 different countries within the last 10 years or so done by the WHO and included data from children who are breastfed. The other is based on formula fed children during the 1970's put out by CDC. Doctor's offices choose to use the CDC charts. The Wall Street Journal did an article on this recently.

To me it is more about how I feel than what numbers on a scale tell me.

 

[Barefooting Bob]

I just calculated my BMI for me to be normoweight I would have to be between 125lbs-168lbs. Sorry I don't want to look like a preteen, I'll stick with obesity.

I get when looking at populations this stuff may be somewhat reliable but seriously how could a healthy adult male weigh 125lbs?

Edit: well unless you are the shortwhiteguy.

I have that problem too ABide, I bounce between 135 to 115 pounds with a average of 125, and can easily do that over a weeks time. But same as Shortwhiteguy, I am quite vertically challenged at 5'-5". When I was younger (a lot younger) and in the military before all my major knee issues I was a very stout 160 lbs of muscle from continuously working out and a very healthy appetite and protein shakes. Still got that happy appetite but the stoutness has definitely gone away, and running has thinned me back out to this lean and mean body that I am currently sporting.

Quite happy with it, I think I will keep it.

 

[spoonerweb]

Myself, mom, and sister are all those heavy people doing well during the races. We aren't speed demons but are far from being last.

There are several cultures were eating all the time is the norm. I happen to belong to one of those cultures (my mother is Chilean). For me, my focus is now eating healthier which has been an issue with me staying home with my two boys and my Hubby loving to keep junk food in the house.

Tell him to buy a safe and keep all the dangerous goods in it. Just don't let him give you the combination.

 

[OdiarAmor]

We agreed to move a lot of it down to the basement freezer. It's no fun if I have to work for it!

 

[RunningPirate]

We agreed to move a lot of it down to the basement freezer. It's no fun if I have to work for it!

See, some of that stuff to me is like crack and hiding it (or making it difficult to eat by freezing) ain't gonna work....all you'd do is see me cruising around with broken teeth from gnawing on frozen Snickers bars

To your point of some cultures constantly eating, I'm sure those methods were developed before HFCS and Chili Cheese Fritos (mmmm...Fritos...)

 

[OdiarAmor]

I say all that and am now sitting in bed with crackers after eating two York Peppermint Patties... I ned to trade Hubby in for another model.

He is fun to blame.

 

[Gidds]

I don't think much of the BMI scale for a number of reasons, one of which is that it doesn't take build (apple or pear) or ethnic differences into consideration. At my previous job I worked with people of almost an entirely different ethnic background than me and I found out that there is a wide variation in bone mass between the "major" ethnic groups.

I also don't care for the BMI because it is fond of telling me I am underweight. The way I am built I look "normal" and wear an "average" single digit clothing size when I am carrying around 20-30 extra pounds. I happen to look "ok" when I am like that so people other than my husband don't notice. I am currently at 20 for the BMI and I know I still have about ten pounds of extra fat.

I guess I am a bit fussy about this issue because when I was a kid I was built like Kate Moss and I used to get a lot of crap about it, to the point that people have been rude to me and I used to go eat my lunch with my art teacher, so people wouldn't stare and wonder when I was going to go throw it up. I've also been asked if I had AIDS or cancer by people who didn't know me well enough to ask that. I never felt unwell when I was that thin so I don't see it as being problematic and other folks really ought to be worrying about if they are being healthy in their lifestyle and habits.

Here's me at 18 (I'm the one on the right) and on my wedding about two years ago at close to my heaviest ever. I don't have a current pic but the one of me making the face in the kilt thread is from April and I've dropped about 12 pounds since then.

I always lament the fact that I have no butt when I am at a healthy weight

 

[Bare Lee]

This thread topic is very bizarre to me. It's perhaps the first time I haven't felt as one with my barefoot brethren. For most of my life I've been fit, and I've never heard of anyone being critical of that. Sure, hosts and relatives like to see you eat their food, you know, the whole consubstantiation schtick (think Eucharist), but this must be a younger generation thing to have the active and fit be criticized. I can't recall obesity ever being valorized among my peer group. Is this the new high fructose hegemony?

Anyway, thanks everyone, you've really made me fear for my children's future.

These perceptions are fascinating though. In Mozambique my wife was always considered too thin. Her friends would even tease her, saying she's lucky she met a white guy, because no local guy would want such a skinny woman. Then there's the more recent prejudice against thin there because of the AIDS epidemic. Anyway, now we get to America, and she puts on a little weight after our second pregnancy, and she's become perfect by American standards. She's quite pleased with the new cultural standard, needless to say.

 

[Sid]

Got a new type of comment today. It was along the lines of "don't worry, you can let yourself have this homemade pastry, as you can run more". It wasn't said with jealousy or insecurity, but rather misunderstanding. Many people seem to think that when one overindulges, then one merely exercises it away, as if food and exercise were polar opposites and cancel each other out.

Honestly, I used the think that way too. I've seen the shirt that says "I run so I can eat". I don't know where this misinformed concept comes from. Perhaps, the multibillion dollar weight loss industry or popular media? Although, diet and exercise both impact health and bodyweight, they do so in different ways. It's tricky, but I've really been trying to keep both in balance.

 

[Bare Lee]

Got a new type of comment today. It was along the lines of "don't worry, you can let yourself have this homemade pastry, as you can run more". It wasn't said with jealousy or insecurity, but rather misunderstanding. Many people seem to think that when one overindulges, then one merely exercises it away, as if food and exercise were polar opposites and cancel each other out.

Honestly, I used the think that way too. I've seen the shirt that says "I run so I can eat". I don't know where this misinformed concept comes from. Perhaps, the multibillion dollar weight loss industry or popular media? Although, diet and exercise both impact health and bodyweight, they do so in different ways. It's tricky, but I've really been trying to keep both in balance.

Well, I agree that it's never good to eat highly processed, sugary crap, but for me, personally, exercise definitely trumps diet. I was losing weight steadily up until my MCL injury at the beginning of October. Since then I've gained a few pounds. I haven't changed my eating habits at all.

 

[NickW]

Well, I agree that it's never good to eat highly processed, sugary crap, but for me, personally, exercise definitely trumps diet. I was losing weight steadily up until my MCL injury at the beginning of October. Since then I've gained a few pounds. I haven't changed my eating habits at all.

+1

 

[Sid]

Well, I agree that it's never good to eat highly processed, sugary crap, but for me, personally, exercise definitely trumps diet.

Actually, it was baklava (one if my favorites) and homemade too. I would have taken a piece home for dessert or as an afternoon snack, as I don't typically snack at work or just because someone presents food to me. Unfortunately, others aren't as picky, and it was gone. I don't have any objections with occasional sweets particularly those of high or gourmet quality, nor do I judge others who occasionally partake of them or alcohol or caffeine.

 

[Bare Lee]

Actually, it was baklava (one if my favorites) and homemade too. I actually would have taken a piece home for dessert or as an afternoon snack, as I don't typically snack at work or just because someone presents food to me. Unfortunately, others aren't as picky, and it was gone. I don't have any objections with occasional sweets particularly those of high or gourmet quality, nor do I judge others who occasionally partake of them or alcohol or caffeine.

Baklava, one of my favorites too, and so disgustingly sweet.
Once in a while I have an ice cream bar, and I like a beer before dinner and a glass of wine with. I suppose if I cut that out I could lose weight a bit faster, but life is short . . .