Adding to life's stress

[the guy with the bowtie]

I'm mid 40's. I have weighed 13 to 13.5 stones and had a 34" waist for as long as I can remember (certainly 15 years). I don't smoke, don't eat meat, visit the Gym three times a week and only drink moderate amounts of alcohol at weekends.

In my recent Gym assessment I was told I was at my ideal weight and I had a healthy lifestyle.

Now the Government now tells me, pretty consistenly and bluntly (using BMI) that I am overweight and should lose a stone.

Setting aside the imprecision of the calculation (and I acknowledge it is essentially right as I have a paunch), surely the message should be put into more context. Why use the term 'overweight' which is very negative. It all adds to life's stress and increases lack of self esteem.

I know many people are worse off than I am - how must they receive this message ?

[Shimano105]

Quite wrong. They should have (of?) called you a big fat porky fecker.

Speaking of which, did anyone see that F*** off I'm Fat programme? Some porky Essex chav trying to turn his lazy @rsed fatness into a disability?

All the people he approached looked like they were being bullied into saying they would accomodate these pigs in future plans. You could see in their eyes what they were really thinking.

So because these biffers can't keep their snouts out of the biccy tin, every business in the land has to redesign their products for them.

Anyway, yes the BMI is flawed and over simplistic.

[n5gooner]

The BMI calculation is a very general calculation, and not something to get worked up on, I'm 6"1 and 101Kg (16St) and have a 34" waist (also don't eat meet (well only one type if the girlfriend is reading this ), but I go to the gym for 2 hours a day, 5 days a week (and get paid for it!!!). I also know I'm putting on about .5Kg to 1Kg per week in lean muscle from changing my workout.

The BMI index puts me as border line obese, I know I not, and I know I have a low body fat %. Really all you need to do is see if the clothes you have are a good fit, if they are tight then stay on the tread mill for a while longer each week.


Not something to get hung up about!

[ChimpMaster]

Fat people p1ss me off, except those that have a genuine problem. Yes enjoy life, but come one leave a bit for the rest of us, u fat git.

On another note, my BMI is spot on and I've a 32/33" waist, but I know I'm really unhealthy. I drink too much, smoke occasionally and eat almost anything (yes n5gooner I also appreciate the finer tasting women).

[kramer]

I'm mid 40's. I have weighed 13 to 13.5 stones and had a 34" waist for as long as I can remember (certainly 15 years). I don't smoke, don't eat meat, visit the Gym three times a week and only drink moderate amounts of alcohol at weekends.

zzzzZZZZZZZZ you sound like a permie.... start binge drinking and get a coke problem. A small dose of herpes from the hot recpetionist may well take you mind off things too...

[darmstadt]

I'm early 40's, smoke a lot (around 20 a day,) drink heavily but only at weekends, eat all types of crap, have a 30-31" waist, don't even walk near a gym, try to drive everywhere if possible yet my BMI is perfect, hmmmm! I actually went for a full checkup a while ago and the only result was that my doctor thought I had Hepatitis otherwise pretty healthy.