When I was a kid growing up in the 50s and 60s, there weren’t as many overweight people as there are today. Back then, people who were overweight really stood out. If I was caught staring at them, I remember being told by my parents that staring was impolite. Given that currently 71% of American adults are overweight and almost 42% are obese, I wonder if parents still give their kids the same advice that my parents gave me. Unfortunately, chances are real good that today, most parents and/or their children are themselves overweight.
In this social media age, our self-esteem can take a real beating if we constantly compare our lives to those we see on our social feeds. I believe that everyone should wake up in the morning thankful to be alive, and determined to live their best life. Loving oneself, however doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. If you’re at an unhealthy weight, you’re not going to be able to live your best life. No matter how good you feel about yourself.
Staring at people, judging them or making comments about their weight is never acceptable behavior, but should we accept being fat as the new normal? How do we express our concerns about an overweight society without fat shaming, and how are we going to stop the rise of unhealthy weight gain in this country?
Weight then and now
When the CDC studied weight gains in America from 1960 to 2002, here’s what it found:
· On average, men’s weight shot up 24.7 pounds, from 166.3 pounds in 1960, to 191 pounds in 2002.
· Women gained 24.1 pounds during that same time frame, going from 140.2 pounds to 164.3 pounds.
· 10-year-old boys put on about 10.8 pounds, going from 74.2 to 85 pounds from 1960 to 2002
· 10-year-old-girls gained 11.4 pounds, (going from 77.4 to 88 pounds)
· A typical 15-year-old-boy, gained 14.8 pounds, going from 135.5 to 150.3 pounds.
· A typical 15-year-old-girl, gained 10.2 pounds, going from 124.2 to 134.4 pounds.
It’s not as if heights shot up at the same time. We only grew about an inch taller over those years while our weights climbed through the roof!
What does it mean to be overweight or obese?
According to the CDC, “Weight that is higher than what is considered as a healthy weight for a given height is described as overweight or obese. Body Mass Index, or BMI, is used as a screening tool for overweight or obesity.” BMI is a measure of your weight in kilograms divided by your height squared in meters. Don’t get freaked out if you’re not a math whiz! Here’s an easy BMI calculator for adults over 20 years old. BMI isn’t a completely accurate view of being overweight because if you have lots of muscle (like me J), you will be considered overweight for your height.
However, BMI is used by medical professionals and insurance underwriters so, it is something to pay attention to.
If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range.
If your BMI is 18.5 to <25, it falls within the normal.
If your BMI is 25.0 to <30, it falls within the overweight range.
If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obese range.
Obesity is frequently subdivided into categories:
Class 1: BMI of 30 to < 35
Class 2: BMI of 35 to < 40
Class 3: BMI of 40 or higher. Class 3 obesity is sometimes categorized as “extreme” or “severe” obesity.
BMI tends to look at fat distributed thorough out your body, whereas the most dangerous fat accumulates around your waist. This is referred to as visceral fat. Waist-to-hip measurements are better suited for this job. Fat around your waist is sometimes closely associated with a higher risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Basically you measure your waist in inches and divide that by your hips in inches, or you can use an online waist-to-hip calculator. This YouTube video will show you how to easily take those measurements. Compare your reading to the chart below to see where you fall:
Waist to Hip Ratio Chart
Male Female Health Risk Based Solely on WHR
0.95 or below 0.80 or below Low Risk
0.96 to 1.0 0.80 or below Moderate Risk
1.0+ 0.85+ High Risk
Women should strive to have a ratio of 0.80 or below, and guys a ratio of 0.95 or lower, to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. If you are concerned with either you BMI and/or your Waist-to-Hip ratio, consult your doctor for more information.
Being overweight and/or obese is not associated with being healthy and it’s costly
There are some people who say that you can be obese, and still be healthy. Or, that your weight doesn’t matter as long as you are happy.
“Can’t you be fat but fit? There appears to be a rare subset of obese individuals who don’t suffer the typical metabolic costs of obesity, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This raised the possibility that there may be such a thing as “benign obesity.” It may just be a matter of time before the risk factors develop. But even if they don’t develop, followed long enough, even “metabolically healthy” obese individuals are at increased risk of diabetes, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, and/or premature death. Bottom line? There is strong evidence that “healthy obesity” is a myth” – How Not To Diet, Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM
Sometimes there’s a fine line between being overweight and obese. Some overweight people are surprised to find out that they are actually obese. A friend of mine said that when she was weighed at her last doctor visit, she thought that somebody’s foot was on the scale. She had quietly slipped into the obese category.
There is a high price to pay for being obese both emotionally, physically and financially. Being obese can lead to many preventable conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. Additionally obese people face:
· Being discriminated against socially and on the job
· Being called names or insulted
· Encountering physical barriers (too small seats and hospital beds)
· Elevated emotional stress
· Exercise avoidance
· Higher levels of depression
· Higher levels of inflammation and oxidative stress
· Premature death
According to the CDC, “The estimated medical cost of obesity in the United States was $147 billion in 2008 US dollars; the medical cost for people who have obesity was $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.”
No one wants to be obese
There’s a study that Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM recounts in his book How Not To Diet, that illustrates how obese people felt about once being obese. It’s pretty powerful. Basically, researchers interviewed forty-seven men and women who on average had lost about 126 pounds. These men and women were asked to think back when they were heavier and were asked to make a choice between: “If someone offered you a couple of million dollars if you stayed morbidly obese forever, would you have chosen the money? Or would you have chosen to be normal weight no matter what?” They were given these options:
· Option 1: “I would have chosen no money and being normal weight. It would have taken me one second to decide.”
· Option 2: “I probably would have chosen being normal weight. But the possibility of having that much money would make me think about the choice.”
· Option 3: “I wanted to be normal weight, but I really could use the money. If I would be a multimillionaire I think I could live with being morbidly obese.”
In the end, forty-six choice Option 1, no-one chose Option 3, and one person had to think about it. Then the forty-seven participants were asked to choose between being obese and having other disabilities. All chose being deaf, being unable to read, being diabetic, having bad acne or having heart disease over being obese. More than 90 percent would have preferred being blind forever or having a leg amputated than being obese. One participant was quoted as saying, “When you’re blind, people want to help you. No one wants to help when you’re fat.
Even losing a small percentage of weight can improve health greatly
Typically when people decide to lose weight, they think in terms of losing pounds. As a Certified Health Coachtified , I talk to my clients about losing a certain percentage of bodyweight. Many people think that they have to lose huge amounts of weight to be healthy. This big number can loom above them like an anvil just waiting to crush their efforts. Thinking in terms of percentage can seem more doable. Even losing as little as 5-10 percent of total bodyweight can greatly improve blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides. A 5 percent weight loss may cut the risk of developing diabetes in half. If you are morbidly obese, it may take losing as much as 20 percent of your weight in order to significantly improve your health, but realize the power of losing as little as 5-10 percent of total body weight!
The bottom Line
To me, the love of self is one of the most important traits you can possess. After all, if you can’t love yourself, how can you ever truly love another person? Protecting and improving your health is an important act of self-love. They go hand in hand. Being at a healthy weight is one of the best ways to honor, and express love for your body. If you are struggling with your weight, there’s no shame in that. If you find yourself comparing your body to those perfect ones on social media, stop it! Much of what you see isn’t real. Besides, all those perfect bodies probably don’t look that perfect in reality. Your life is real and that’s all that matters.
Don’t settle for being overweight. Living your best life includes being at a healthy weight. Although getting there can be a real struggle, you don’t have to settle for being overweight or obese. Remember, even losing as little as 5-10 percent of your weight can greatly improve your health. You don’t have to go it alone because I’m here to help you succeed. You can do this. It’s time for an upgrade. Now let’s get to work!
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