Posted on 07/17/2023 7:35:53 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
Researchers examined the anthropometric data of about 3,000 Israeli women and men and concluded that body fat percentage is a much more reliable indicator of an individual's overall health and cardiometabolic risk than the BMI index, widely used in clinics today. The researchers suggest that body fat percentage should become the gold standard in this respect and recommend equipping clinics all over Israel with suitable devices.
Prof. Gepner states, "The prevailing index in this respect is BMI, based on weight and height measures, which is considered a standard indicator of an individual's general health. However, despite the obvious intuitive connection between excess weight and obesity, the actual measure for obesity is the body's fat content, with the maximum normal values set at 25% for males and 35% for females.
The researchers analyzed the anthropometric data of 3,000 Israeli women and men, accumulated over several years: BMI scores; DXA scans (using X-rays to measure body composition, including fat content); and cardiometabolic blood markers. About one third of the participants—1,000 individuals—were found to be within the normal weight range. Of these, 38.5% of the women and 26.5% of the men were identified as "obese with normal weight"—having excess fat content despite their normal weight.
Matching body fat percentage with blood markers for each of these individuals, the study found a significant correlation between "obesity with normal weight" and high levels of sugar, fat, and cholesterol—major risk factors for a range of cardiometabolic diseases. At the same time, 30% of the men and 10% of the women identified as overweight were found to have a normal body fat percentage.
Prof. Gepner says, "Our findings were somewhat alarming, indicating that obesity with normal weight is much more common in Israel than we had assumed. Moreover, these individuals usually pass 'under the radar.'"
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Know that you can be “thin-fat,” and that you have similar risks as obviously obese people, despite being thin. Your blood should tell you some of this, or step on a newer scale with bio-impedance to get a relative idea of your body fat percentage.
This must be true. Normal sized Americans cannot even fit into normal size airline seats.
🤨
The guy who created BMI, Adolphe Quetelet from Belgium, was not a physician but an “astronomer, mathematician, statistician and sociologist” whose chief contribution was “introducing statistical methods to the social sciences” and the creation of “anthropometry”, as Wikipedia puts it. Another socialist, even though Wikipedia claims otherwise. Big influence on Charles Darwin and Francis Galton (the latter being the author of so-called “eugenics”).
the bmi number alone without any other context is often garbage for determining health
My weight is not the problem, it’s my height. If I were 2 ft. taller, I’d be just right.
How do you measure body fat vs BMI?
We need to go back to the 50s, 60s, and 70s where being fat was the exception rather than the rule. Every time I look at photos from back then the contrast is stark. There were maybe 1 or 2 overweight kids in my school classes, I had a shop teacher we called “Fat Rabbit”, but most people were of normal weight and were not obese.
Specific gravity by Archimedes’ Principle. If you were 100% fat, you’d float.
All I can tell you is that my sister and I have nearly the same BMI. She has much more fat than I do, because I can see hers readily, and a lot less stamina. If she’s lucky, she gets in 1500 steps a day. I’m closer to 15,000 steps a day. So this study doesn’t surprise me.
I agree with you, but do you know what’s weird?
My daughter is a size 0 in today’s dress sizes, and I was a 0 when I was younger. I have some of my old dresses, which she has tried on for fun. My waist was several inches smaller than hers now. She can’t zip the dresses. It blows my my mind.
BMI:
https://www.thecalculatorsite.com/articles/health/bmi-formula-for-bmi-calculations.php
All the fat percentage approaches are quite different from each other. The gold standard is underwater weighing, which can get done at most colleges, but a slight electrical charge or even using calipers on various parts of the body, against a set of tables, can provide it.
The simplest is bio-impedence, on a newer scale, adjusted for your height.
These may cost as little as $25 now, on Amazon.
I saw some pictures online a while ago of Jackie Gleason on The Honeymooners.
I remember back in those days, when the show was airing, thinking how disgustingly fat he was. When I recently saw those pictures, I thought that by today's standards he wasn't bad.
It was a bit of a shock to realize how acclimated we have become to fat people.
I had exactly the same reaction.
Thanks for the ping.
So true. I don’t remember any really fat people in high school. By the time my boys were teens, I’d drop them off to high school and be amazed at how many fat kids there.
They made us do more physical ed when I was in school.
Through a DEXA scan or a Bod Pod.
“We need to go back to the 50s, 60s, and 70s where being fat was the exception rather than the rule.”
Ok, then throw out the riding lawnmowers, the air conditioners, the dishwashers, and the remote controls, for a start.
There are three houses directly behind my house, side by side. Each one of them is inhabited by single females who are morbidly obese. I’m talking 250 pounders plus......
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