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The Racist and Problematic Origins of the Body Mass Index
Posted on 2/24/21 at 8:45 am
Posted on 2/24/21 at 8:45 am
Given how diverse human beings are, it's logical that pushing all individuals to maintain the same body standards would lead to trouble. Yet, the medical community has done just that when it comes to the use of one simple calculation: The body mass index (BMI).
This number — intended to be an estimate of body fat — is calculated by dividing a person's weight (in kilograms) by their height in meters squared. This calculation has been at the center of America’s fight against “the obesity epidemic,” a phenomenon the dangers of which many researchers have questioned. It is true that our BMIs have been gradually ticking up across the population, and this has caused many in the medical community to be concerned about our increased risk of disease.
But just how reliable is the link between higher BMIs and poor health?
Amidst that angst, body fat has come to be feared as one of the greatest threats to society. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health (OHM), Black women have the highest rates of "obesity" and being “overweight”
LINK
This post was edited on 2/24/21 at 8:46 am
10
Posted on 2/24/21 at 8:48 am to djmed
All that science stuff is pure racism!
Unless it agrees with a Democrats talking points of course....
Unless it agrees with a Democrats talking points of course....
Posted on 2/24/21 at 8:53 am to djmed
Genetics. Tens of thousands of years of a society surviving on low calorie diets. Make them sedentary, and toss them on a diet of fast food, beer and BBQ, and their life spans shorten. It's just science.
However, there's something to be said about enjoying life, even if it shaves a few years off the end.
However, there's something to be said about enjoying life, even if it shaves a few years off the end.
Posted on 2/24/21 at 9:03 am to djmed
Posted on 2/24/21 at 9:34 am to djmed
“Marginalized people” must NEVER be held accountable for their actions or outcomes.
Posted on 2/24/21 at 9:45 am to djmed
BMI is just meant as a quick rule-of-thumb, but too many people tend to see it as the be-all-and-end-all measurement of health.
Zach is correct. There certainly exist more-accurate measurements of body fat. And they take MUCH more time and effort than a quick-and-dirty BMI calculation.
It is certainly not unreasonable to surmise that different insular populations might evolve to store body fat differently, but that concept hardly renders BMI "racist."
Zach is correct. There certainly exist more-accurate measurements of body fat. And they take MUCH more time and effort than a quick-and-dirty BMI calculation.
It is certainly not unreasonable to surmise that different insular populations might evolve to store body fat differently, but that concept hardly renders BMI "racist."
This post was edited on 2/24/21 at 10:00 am
Posted on 2/24/21 at 9:48 am to CGSC Lobotomy
quote:
BMI is a bad metric anyway
Yes it is. I was having this conversation just a couple of days ago.
There a much better/more accurate ways of calculating your body fat percentage.
Posted on 2/24/21 at 9:49 am to djmed
My only problem with BMI is since it just deals with weight and height it cannot account for density from higher levels of muscle compared to fat.
I've seen guys in our gym who are extremely fit and you would guess 5-10, 170. But when he gets on the scale it's 190 due to muscle mass.
Black women have much higher levels of obesity and it's not due to excess muscle.
There is a test of fat/muscle content that involves getting into a tank of water to check displacement.
I've seen guys in our gym who are extremely fit and you would guess 5-10, 170. But when he gets on the scale it's 190 due to muscle mass.
Black women have much higher levels of obesity and it's not due to excess muscle.
There is a test of fat/muscle content that involves getting into a tank of water to check displacement.
Posted on 2/24/21 at 9:52 am to CMBears1259
quote:
There a much better/more accurate ways of calculating your body fat percentage.
Sure, but the people who use those are typically already on top of their health. BMI is a simple rule of thumb to warn uninterested people who think they're just "big boned" that they are inviting health issues. I think it's still useful for that.
Posted on 2/24/21 at 9:54 am to djmed
Fat, dumb, and 'happy' citizenry is good for a totalitarian government
Posted on 2/24/21 at 9:57 am to djmed
Everybody knows BMI has its limitations, but it is still a pretty useful tool. And I don’t really give a frick if black women don’t like being reminded that they are on average, fatter than frick. Eat a salad and walk the block a time or two.
While we’re at it, sickle cell is racist too.
While we’re at it, sickle cell is racist too.
This post was edited on 2/24/21 at 10:07 am
Posted on 2/24/21 at 10:50 am to Flats
quote:
Sure, but the people who use those are typically already on top of their health. BMI is a simple rule of thumb to warn...
Agreed.
quote:
...uninterested people who think they're just "big boned" that they are inviting health issues. I think it's still useful for that.
I could be wrong, but I would guess that a lot of these people may not give 2 shits about their health. At least not enough to make necessary changes. For those that do care enough, I think it's useful too.
Posted on 2/24/21 at 10:54 am to AggieHank86
quote:
It is certainly not unreasonable to surmise that different insular populations might evolve to store body fat differently, but that concept hardly renders BMI "racist."
I had a friend that could eat all the hamburgers, pizza and BBQ he wanted and he never got fat. I was super jealous. For me to maintain a weight, even after 40, that wouldn't disqualify me from military service, I needed an average of 1,200 calories a day. He stayed lean and lightweight eating twice that much.
We're both in our early 40s. He now has high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and while I'm a tad bit heftier than he is, I have fine blood pressure and acceptable cholesterol levels. And he's still "skinny".
Much of this is genetics.
I bet he must shite like a pet coon, though.
This post was edited on 2/24/21 at 10:56 am
Posted on 2/24/21 at 11:01 am to djmed
Are the BMI results in Africa racist against whites? Obesity is very American.
Posted on 2/24/21 at 11:04 am to Zach
That’s the exception to the rule. Most people who have fat BMIs are...fat.
Posted on 2/24/21 at 11:04 am to chadau79
quote:
Are the BMI results in Africa racist against whites? Obesity is very American.
Seems to coincide with both affluency and diversity.
People in china are skinny cuz they eat nothing but fish heads and rice.
Build some McDonalds and Rudy's BBQ joints in China and see how it works out. You'll have sumo wrestlers crawling out of the gutters in 2 years.
This post was edited on 2/24/21 at 11:10 am
Posted on 2/24/21 at 11:12 am to Zach
quote:
My only problem with BMI is since it just deals with weight and height it cannot account for density from higher levels of muscle compared to fat.
I've seen guys in our gym who are extremely fit and you would guess 5-10, 170. But when he gets on the scale it's 190 due to muscle mass.
Black women have much higher levels of obesity and it's not due to excess muscle.
There is a test of fat/muscle content that involves getting into a tank of water to check displacement.
I agree that BMI is not as good of an indicator as something like body fat %, but it’s quick and easy to calculate. Bodybuilding is really the only exception to the rule and most most of the time is due to muscle beyond a person’s natural genetic limit.
Posted on 2/24/21 at 11:49 am to BiteMe2020
quote:
I had a friend that could eat all the hamburgers, pizza and BBQ he wanted and he never got fat.
I can do that, I just feel like crap. Same for working out; I don’t have to do it to maintain weight but I feel worse when I don’t. And despite me doing almost everything right I still have moderately high cholesterol, as does my mother, also not overweight. As you say, a lot of it is genetics.
Posted on 2/24/21 at 11:51 am to Flats
quote:
I can do that, I just feel like crap. Same for working out; I don’t have to do it to maintain weight but I feel worse when I don’t. And despite me doing almost everything right I still have moderately high cholesterol, as does my mother, also not overweight. As you say, a lot of it is genetics.
Yep, I have the mixed curse. I can get in the weight room and lift a bit and get bigger muscles quickly. My skinny friend couldn't gain an ounce of muscle no matter how many protein shakes he drinks.
We're both cursed differently, I suppose. I tend to do just fine with fats and proteins. Carbs frick my system up royally.
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