Opus 2012-83, Healthy Insights: Does This Dress Make Me Look Fat?

First off I must confess that I don’t wear dresses.  But in answer to the real question being asked, no.  Fat makes you look fat, not clothes.  But lighten up a bit about your weight.

We have all been to the doctor and had some part of our physical life measured and told we need to change.  Almost every time I see a new doctor they tell me to quit drinking.  In order to take in less alcohol I would need to stop walking by bars because all I ever get in is the air.  The advice is rote, not response.

We have all seen the charts that tell us if we are healthy or not.  Blood pressure is healthy or not based on some mysterious norm.  Cholesterol is too high or two low.  You weigh to much.

Says who?

The one that amuses me the most is the BMI.  I think it stands for Body Mass Index.  It is supposed to tell you whether you are too heavy or too fat.  It takes two numbers and comes up with a ratio.  Most of my adult life I have been either obese or morbidly obese.  Recently I have lost some weight and I am feeling reasonably confident I will be able to keep it off.  Currently I am still considered overweight by the BMI.  Everyone who sees me thinks I am a walking skeleton.  Some have expressed concerns about my health because I am looking emaciated.  How can you be overweight and emaciated at the same time?  The key is putting too much confidence in charts that are impersonal and one-size-fits-all. 

Consider:  I have very large feet; two of them.  I have not been able to walk into a store and buy a pair of shoes since grade school.  I think that adds a bit to my weight.  I have a very large head.  Hats in most stores come in general sizes, the largest being extra large.  They do not fit me.  When I get one of those cheap baseball caps with the plastic adjuster on the back I can only snap one of the little buttons and the hat is tight at that point.  I had a dentist tell me one time that he had never seen teeth so big.  I think it would be safe to say that I have big bones.  I am not just saying it to make excuses.  I do.  To put me on the same chart as a walking string bean is an exercise in futility.

So look at the charts.  Take them into consideration.  Evaluate the data but don’t get consumed by generic medicine.  We are all individuals.  We are all different.  What works for one person will not necessarily help another.  I was reading on a diabetic blog the story of a guy who was depressed because he was 157 pounds instead of 156.  The old BMI scale said he should be around 180.  The new one had lowered the numbers and he was consumed with reaching them.  He, and possibly you, needs to lighten up.

Stay healthy, by your definition.  Don’t let your blood pressure get high because someone printed a chart.

homo unius libri