It's about time!!! BMI = Bull$hit Mass Index

[Bill Glasheen]

I have been railing against BMI as a measure of health vs. obesity (and an indicator of present or future metabolic syndrome) for years. Ian can tell you... It almost drives me to drinking. And yet I'll have people on my forum argue with my theory.

Finally - the science is catching up with what we first-principles scientists have known all along. It ain't the weight; it's the composition and where you put it. Some weight (e.g. muscle mass) is actually a GOOD thing as it revs up the basal metabolic rate (a.k.a. BMR).

Why do they use BMI? Basically because many scientists and/or clinicians are lazy. BMI is an "index" which can be computed from weight and height. No matter what your body composition is or where you store various parts of your weight, a given weight and a given height will give you a fixed BMI. From this, epidemiologists will study what diseases and clinical outcomes happen as a result of our body's alleged composition.

For athletes, BMI is useless. Worse yet - and I have been saying this for years - it may also be useless for couch potatoes with "normal" weight.

Body composition (percent body fat) and fat distribution (pear healthier than apple) are just as important, if not more important. A much simpler and more useful measure is waist-to-hip ratio. The more the lady or laddie look like someone you want to roll in the sack with (the classic hourglass shape), the healthier they are. Belly fat is associated with unhealthy biochemistry. Booty fat isn't as bad. And a rock-hard bubble butt combined with washboard abs is more than a useful combo in sports; it's a sign of health and vitality. Being wired to seek the hourglass shape is more than a genetic accident.

The Scales Can Lie: Hidden Fat

It's time to raise our standards and expectations of ourselves, gang. Don't just look at the damn scale. Eat right, exercise right, and give an honest look at yourself (nude) in the mirror. Unless you're suffering from body dysmorphia, the mirror doesn't lie.

A scale isn't an altogether useless tool. But if you insist on monitoring it, spend an equal amount of time monitoring your waist and hip measurements.

- Bill

[Bill Glasheen]

I just fixed the article link. Here it is again.

The Scales Can Lie: Hidden Fat

[Glenn]

I don't think the issue is with whether there are better models or not, but rather that the better models tend to be more complex and require special equipment while there is a need for simplicity by those who use these models on a daily basis. There is a general positive correlation between BMI and certain health risks, making it as useful as the general negative correlation between credit scores and insurance risks. In both cases there are more complex and accurate ways of achieving the same goal, but the companies and individuals involved are always going to lean toward the simplest models that they deem to be reasonably effective. Any doctor/trainer can easily calculate BMI with two quick measurements and without having to fire up a computer. When they are trying to maximize the number of people they service in a day to meet the various demands that drive such quotas, that efficiency is very attractive.

We don't have that excuse of course, and like you say we should do more to monitor our health then just look at a scale. But as for "give an honest look at yourself (nude)" and "monitoring your waist and hip measurements", those sound more fun as partner activities with a significant other

[KentuckyUechi]

I agree with Bill. I've always thought BMI was useless.

As for your Idea Glenn........Are you crazy! Closely monitoring weight and body fat with a significant other? You're gonna get someone killed! First guy that says "Oh, you're right honey, you do need to lose a pound or two".....It ain't gonna be pretty!

[Jason Rees]

Hehe... I was thinking it might not be fun at all, judging by the size of most women I saw in Nebraska. Yikes.

The Air Force is slowly moving away from the BMI.

[Glenn]

judging by the size of most women I saw in Nebraska. Yikes

I'm not seeing this, I think the view tends to be pretty good here...either you and I tune into different appearances or there is a significant difference between the women in Omaha and Lincoln.

[Jason Rees]

I'm not seeing this, I think the view tends to be pretty good here...either you and I tune into different appearances or there is a significant difference between the women in Omaha and Lincoln.

If you look at median incomes for Omaha and Lincoln, I think it'll explain things very well. It's the wierdest thing here in the states... in the cities, it's the poorest who are the fattest. They have my sympathy, though: to do anything fun generally costs money, and popcorn, a cable television package, and a beer are much cheaper than, say, a mountain bike, climbing shoes, or a gym membership.

Impulse control.

[Bill Glasheen]

in the cities, it's the poorest who are the fattest.

{snip}

Impulse control.

There's a chicken and egg thing going on here. Does being poor make them fat - as alleged by Justin in another thread - or does a lack of impulse control (no capacity for delayed gratification) cause these people to be poor in the first place? The issue here is association vs. causality.

The underlying cause of it all could be in the brain of the poor fatty (to use some vernacular). We all know that donuts and beer aren't the breakfast of champions.

Little Chocolate Donuts

So what's the problem here? It could be that some work on one's emotional intelligence could do more than keep the waist trimmer.

- Bill

[Valkenar]

There's a chicken and egg thing going on here. Does being poor make them fat - as alleged by Justin in another thread - or does a lack of impulse control (no capacity for delayed gratification) cause these people to be poor in the first place?

To be clear, I believe there is more going on than a simple lack-of-dolalrs -> fat relationship. It's a fairly complex issue. But you're right, I'm not real impressed with the "blame the poor" routine.

[Mary Chant]

There are many discussing contributing factors to poverty with better minds than mine, and while I do not agree with all of her conclusions, Ruby K. Payne, Ph. D. is one, and has an interesting perspective in Bridges out of Poverty, Strategies for Professionals and Communities. Food has a cultural, relatioinship and entertainment importance in many parts of our American society, and her book touches on that. I do think that both poverty and obesity are too complex of issues to attribute causality to either for the other. Though, lack of disposable income and time does pose challenges to those with lower incomes in maintaining proper health. Crappier food is cheaper and quicker.

But again, I caution against over-simplifying the issue of poverty or obesity. Personal behavior as well as formal and informal systems all factor into poverty. Also, when we discuss poverty, there are frequently differences in contributing factors when addressing situational vs. generational poverty, as well differences in what can be successful in helping these families reach greater economic independence and security.

The reason I originally wanted to post was in response to Glasheen-Sensei's caution against relying on the scale. While I defer to his expertise, I did want to add the main benefit to my using the scale was that it is in front of the mirror and I don't want to weigh my clothes, if you know what I mean so my mirror tells me the truth, and serves to reinforce what the scale is saying.

I am also the first to admit that I use food for reasons other than sustaining myself or even the taste. Boredom, depression, anxiety, blah, blah, blah, they all play a role in how and what I eat. This is not an excuse; it's just the truth. I know what to do to change this, and am working on it. This includes better eating, more general activity, more working out and dealing with things head on that make me anxious, not procrastinating, and much, much more.

So, just thought I'd add a comment from the "cheap seats." I always look forward to learning here, and hope all are enjoying a great new year.

[IJ]

Let me remind people that these screening tools are for man cows anyway. The smarter and more active people don't need to be told when they're in or out of shape right? I put 5 veins on my abs with p90x; who gives a rodents buttocks what my BMI or WHR is? I know it's irrelevant (unless I calculate it as point of comparison to scare a patient).

[Jason Rees]

There's a chicken and egg thing going on here. Does being poor make them fat - as alleged by Justin in another thread - or does a lack of impulse control (no capacity for delayed gratification) cause these people to be poor in the first place?

I think you're absolutely right, Bill. If someone isn't taught early on to hold out for something better, they will almost never get it. Those who do, accumulate enough resources to climb out of the hole they were left in. Those who don't, look around and decide that if they're going to be in the hole, at least they can be comfortable.

I'm not blaming the poor, but I think blaming the system, the rich, or George W. Bush/Reagan/Clinton/Obama is just as lame. Why people can't meet in the middle and actually come up with some real solutions is beyond me.

[Valkenar]

I think you're absolutely right, Bill. If someone isn't taught early on to hold out for something better, they will almost never get it.

This is sort of exactly my point. I just don't understand how we can expect people to intuit the possibilities that exist for them if they've never been taught. So in one sense, we might blame the cultural conditions that correlate with poverty, I don't think it makes a lot of sense to put a lot of blame on the individuals that constitute that culture. Basically a case of the whole being less than the sum of its parts.

[Bill Glasheen]

Basically a case of the whole being less than the sum of its parts.

Precisely why science should use tools such as randomized-controlled trials, mutivariate inferential statistical analyses, and investigations of first principles (theoretical work). Observational fishing expeditions can get you into big time trouble. One needs to use that brain that "God" gave us.

- Bill

[Bill Glasheen]

Nice to hear from you, Mary! I hope all is well with you and your family.

Your perspective was very helpful.

- Bill