05/24/07

So I was at a friends house Monday night and he happens to be a doctor in training. I was talking about exercising to try and lose a bit of weight because I am going to be walking a lot in Italy this summer. And so, being the doctor that he is, he whips out his little PDA with handy calculators on it and asks me how much I weigh and how tall I am and it comes up with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 33. I asked him how that was. He replied “Medically speaking, anything over 30 is obese. So you are mildly obese.”

Wow! I had no idea! I mean, I know that I’m a little heavy, but I would NEVER consider myself obese. But I am. That was really shocking to me.

Well, in the end, I’m glad I know that. I’m the kind of guy that works off of numbers, so now that I know, I can work towards a goal. So I have set my goal at 200 pounds (from my current 245) which will give me a BMI of 26.5.

So now for the funny part. I was looking up some health info on the net, and I came across this site that will calculate your BMI and stuff… and I really didn’t pay attention to the header, but thought it funny when it had a “Peoples Choice Ideal Weight” which is what other people my height/age/weight describe as their ideal weight, and then they have a “Medical Recommendation.” I thought that a bit odd that they would have a place where its just what other people want ABOVE the medical recommendation. Then I look at the top of the page and it says

“Set a realistic ‘Ideal Weight’ goal for your body,
Try to Feel Good about yourself even if you are overweight.”

How funny! How true! How appropriate. In America, one of the fattest countries on the planet, when I do a Google search for ‘Ideal Weight’ the first site that comes up says that even if you are overweight, that’s ok, just feel good about it; stuff some more fatty-burgers down your pie-hole and feel good. That’s really funny! Instead of saying, you should strive and work hard for health, it says that the BMI calculators are just out of date!

That’s exactly how I got to be obese! I looked at everyone else around me and saw that I was a bit bigger than some and smaller than some and I FEALT good about that. But when I was given the truth that I was obese, I’ve lost 5 pounds in the last week by eating healthy (skipping the ice cream at church and doing better at home also thank you very much!) and exercise (man that elliptical bike kills me!). When I examined myself against the unmoving standard, I saw myself lacking.

Now I could get all theological on you and say how we have to measure ourselves against the Bible and not other Christians, but I won’t. = )

Well that’s it, this house-wife must go finish dinner to take to my most gorgeous wifey. Laterz.

updated:

(From another page of the same sight)

"Above all, Don't Worry, Be Happy. It's unhealthy to have anxiety over a less-than-perfect body image. And, if this calculator's description of your body seems wrong for you, just trust your own judgment. A healthy mental attitude is just as important as physical fitness."

LOL, I was talking to my friend and she said, 'people love to make excuses for their obesity. "Well, I feel good!" "I exercise all the time!" and "Some skinny people are unhealthy!"

So true!