BMI for African Americans/Blacks/Browns

delonda1

41% fat is obese.

Recent New York Times article. The author is an African American woman, who also discusses her own weight gain and loss.

"Black Women and Fat

FOUR out of five black women are seriously overweight. One out of four middle-aged black women has diabetes. With $174 billion a year spent on diabetes-related illness in America and obesity quickly overtaking smoking as a cause of cancer deaths, it is past time to try something new.

What we need is a body-culture revolution in black America. Why? Because too many experts who are involved in the discussion of obesity don’t understand something crucial about black women and fat: many black women are fat because we want to be. ..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/opinion/sunday/why-black-women-are-fat.html

Dang Tio Tacos, Uncle Toms....White Folks can ALWAYS find ONE and try to lay THAT on the WHOLE RACE! What about the environmental factors that cause obesity and resulting Co-Morbidities>>>STRESS, Poverty, Unemployment, RACISM, White Privilege, Sexism..

Interesting how you highlight racism, then use the term "white folk". How completely backwards as strayed from the point.

That article is GREAT! Most blacks are obese because they want to. They were brought up with a different meaning to healthy. And you know what. THATS OKAY. but health isnt about race. Body structures do not differ between races it is person to person.

shannashannabobana

"The problem the school made was not sending a copy of that note to their school cafeteria. Kids are measured in a whole different way I believe. I think they go by growth charts or something. Childhood obesity is a serious problem, you should be happy that your child's school is trying to do something about it. Obese kids also carry their fat very differently from adults it seems. I've seen an overweight kid with a hanging gut but his ribs were somehow visible."

The kids I'm talking about are
a. Not Mine
b. Not fat at all. I'm not talking about a pudgy kid (which is another discussion entirely) I am talking about a very thin child with a lot of muscle. Their doctor said to ignore the note, because it was wrong.

I'm saying BMI, being incredibly imperfect and from what I've seen the kid scales even more so, there should be a simple visual test to go a long with it.

In the Carl Lewis example, what if someone sent him a note without seeing him or knowing who he was? They would have no idea if his weight was HEALTHY or not, which is the point of all this. A healthy weight is individualized, and in some respects genetic (in that if you carry weight in your hips, but have a small waist, and are otherwise a pretty normal weight, that hip weight is not the unhealthy kind)

IcassI

I think BMI along with other stats are helpful tools that can be used in guiding how much one should weigh. However, I do not believe it should be the only stat that one considers. Not every African American woman is shaped the same way so having a BMI just for African American women would not be helpful. The way I determine if I am healthy and at a healthy weight is by my body fat % and my medical stats such as cholesterol, blood pressure etc.

Dragonwolf

41% fat is obese.

Recent New York Times article. The author is an African American woman, who also discusses her own weight gain and loss.

"Black Women and Fat

FOUR out of five black women are seriously overweight. One out of four middle-aged black women has diabetes. With $174 billion a year spent on diabetes-related illness in America and obesity quickly overtaking smoking as a cause of cancer deaths, it is past time to try something new.

What we need is a body-culture revolution in black America. Why? Because too many experts who are involved in the discussion of obesity don’t understand something crucial about black women and fat: many black women are fat because we want to be. ..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/opinion/sunday/why-black-women-are-fat.html

Dang Tio Tacos, Uncle Toms....White Folks can ALWAYS find ONE and try to lay THAT on the WHOLE RACE!

There were some complaints in the article that the author was portraying all black women in a bad light. Certainly, many of the things she stated as "fact" about blacks didn't apply to me or many black women I know. But the statistics cited are horrifying. I've always gotten angry about seeing black females represented as "sassy fat black women" on TV and in the movies, but if four out of five black women are seriously overweight it's not a stereotype, not that there aren't huge numbers of overweight white people.

Facts taken out of Context can be made to make ANY POINT! Again, what Environmental Factors play a MAJOR ROLE!? When someone gives an OPINION, "Black women are fat because they WANT to be Fat" I have a MAJOR problem with that! What FACT is she relating to in saying that...how was THAT Conclusion drawn? Blacks like that just give fodder for fuel to Racist and Status seeking Blacks and Ignorance to flourish. NOTHING is in a vacuum!

Articles like that piss Me off because she is making a statement and showing Irrelevant Stats to back it up...THAT;S NOT the whole story, HEY, But she Got her article in the New York Times. (It's like saying the HS drop out rate for Black Males is 68% SO they Must be Dumb!)

ETA: The SHEAR IGNORANCE of the woman..."We (Blacks) need a BODY CULTURE Revolution....WHAT? Tell GOD to take our hips back, or MAY Be, Surgically alter our Nose or Thin our Lips!!!? Our BODY TYPE is as unique as any other feature of our being (in ALL Cultures). How FREAKISH do white women look when they THICKEN their lips, they were not made like that...I dare a Status seeking Black come along and say, "Change what GOD gave you because it does NOT fit the present definition of..." She is saying MORE than is written in the article, and even so, the article is Stupid. It does not provoke thought, it STOPS it!

I reflect back on someone here who Posted about the Cost of Eating Right...the young lady said she is spending $600 per month just for her to eat right!!! Why doesn't the writer give history behind the obesity and possible solutions. Most Black women will NEVER be shaped like a Bean Pole...THANK GOD!

Every major problem in any society FIRST becomes pervasive in the poverty stricken population...THEN it gets Noticed when it hits the "middle class." No different with obesity and its Co-Morbidities. There is FAR more going on than just "folks" eating too much...it's WHAT people in our society are eating and the CHEMICAL reaction it has in the Body! That is why nutritionist and doctors have NOW come to the conclusion that Calories In and Calories Out is NOT the right formula! That the chemical reaction that HFCS has on the Body IS different than Cane sugar...and so on. So when the general population get ALL of these types of substances it reeks havoc on the Body. I wish that writer had taken an opportunity to Educate instead of Demonize Black Women...Like WE need that! BUT she got her article approved for the NY Times! I KNOW she shops at Whole Foods and drives her Benz to get there!

From my experience, it's not a "black" or "white" thing, but more of a "southern" or "country" thing. Country/southern culture tends to revolve around food. It's often considered rude to deny a meal offered, and the host will often show concern if they don't think you've eaten "enough," even if you're full.

If I had to guess, I'd say it stems from leaner times, when having enough food to eat was a sign of wealth and good times, so being a heavier weight was seen as a good thing, because it meant you weren't starving. For the most part, that's no longer the case in the US, and the idea that "heavier = healthier" doesn't work anymore, because we've long since passed the point where being "heavier" meant actually being a healthy weight (vs being underweight).

It's a well-known and well-proven fact that blacks are at higher risk of diabetes and heart disease. It's also a well-known and well-proven fact that Type 2 diabetes and heart disease are directly correlated with, and stem from/often caused by, obesity. Is it really much of a jump to think that there's a correlation between the disease risk and the "fat acceptance" culture found in the black demographic? (As a side note, it also wouldn't surprise me to see a higher incidence of obesity-related health issues among white groups of the country/southern culture, given my own experience with both my family and my husband's family, due to the same emphasis on food old notion that "heavier = healthier".)

Additionally, if you know where to look, you can eat healthy on less than $600/month/person. Things like farm co-ops and local butchers can provide you with organic (or technically organic, even if they're not "approved" by the FDA) food for enough food to feed a family of 4 for several months for $600 (think, a whole cow). You just have to be willing to look beyond the grocery store and neatly-packaged fake crap.

Kcham817

This thread is very interesting. i know all of my numbers on a consistent basis. My BMI is 27.1 and my BF is 27.1%, I have a body fat analyzer that I measure weekly. I believe body fat is a lot more important than BMI. However my BF was higher this time last year even though I weighed 6 pounds less (thank you weight lifting). Also at that time I saw my doctor he told me I should be ok with just a 7 pound weight loss which would've put me at the higher range of a healthy weight based on the standards.

alicepoppyh

Interesting point. Also should BMI is based on a male body and then superimposed onto women who have an entirely different make up. One of the many examples of this in medical profession.

jessicaj_824

I always think a good indicator is the hip to waist ratio. Two women of the same weight and one is a belly and the other is all booty - the women with the belly fat is the one that has more health risks. The OP looks like she has a great waist to hip ratio.

Lisseth03

Agreeing with all that BMI isn't the best indicator of whether you're healthy and fit or not. There are studies that show that different races have different BMIs but have the same body fat percentage, which is a better indicator.

http://www.halls.md/bmi/race.htm

So from this study, it does seem like Black people have a higher healthy BMI than white people, which I believe what most BMI standards are based on.

where are the latinos at
haha

BAMFMeredith

I'm pretty sure race doesn't have anything to do with it. BMI is just an indicator of health.

Personally, I don't like BMI, I prefer body fat percentage. Regardless of race, having an elevated level of body fat will cause health issues in the long run.

This, except BMI is dumb, professional athletes often have "overweight" BMIs when they're like solid muscle. Pay most attention to your body fat % and your labs.

While culturally there is a difference in body size/shape PREFERENCE, it has nothing to do with actual health.

Leslie85

Yeah, it definitely doesn't have anything to do with race. I'm white, but I have thick thighs and a larger butt...but that doesn't change my BMI or anything. It's just the way I'm built.

aquabeauty1187

BMI does suck, but I've seen some skinnier black women than myself. Even my black brother and sister tell me I have the body structure of a black women. I work out in the gym every morning, and shower with my fellow soldiers, and not to sound funny, but most of the black women in there are smaller than me. So to say that black women are generally more rounded isn't exactly correct...I think it's more of an even playing field.

Jewcybabe

Granted my two cents is a little off topic..... BUT a new study has concluded that exercise controIs weight better in white teen girls than their black counterparts. More study is needed to determine whether the disparity can be accounted for by lifestyle or genetics.....

http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/hsn/exercise-controls-weight-in-white-girls-better-than-in-black-girls-study

mfpcopine

Another issue with BMI is Black muscle and bone density is higher than White, that would add some mass.

Had an ex who said this was (partly) why there were no top black swimmers, although her main argument was the chlorine damaged her hair. All generalisations of course, I'm pasty white and can't swim a stroke.

Oh, PUHLEEEEEEEEEEEASE! Not the Black people can't float crap again. It's true that some blacks may have denser bones, but the reason there are no or few top black swimmers almost certainly has to do much more with lack of access to high quality swimming facilities and training. There aren't a whole lot of black skiers or equestrians either. Those are expensive sports.

Jesus.

What your ex said about the chlorine is true. Many black women, especially before the introduction of more "natural" hairstyles (which still still are hardly universal), were reluctant to go swimming because the water would ruin hairstyles they spent a lot of time on and the chemicals did a number on their hair. THAT'S why more black people aren't swimmers.

chrissismone

OP I would never post that here esp since this site is other dominate and they don't understand the complexities those of other races have. If the DR says your healthy then that's what is most important.

mashanda

You do realize that BMI is all about money right? I read an article somewhere about how BMI has been changed a few times because if they make certain BMI overweight it mean money can be made(weight loss places) or given(goverment grants). I think it is a better idea to look at body fat percentage. I truly believe each person is different. I have some black friends and family members that are shapeless and I have white friends that are just as built as what stereotypically is considered to be a black womans figure.

BAMFMeredith

Another issue with BMI is Black muscle and bone density is higher than White, that would add some mass.

Had an ex who said this was (partly) why there were no top black swimmers, although her main argument was the chlorine damaged her hair. All generalisations of course, I'm pasty white and can't swim a stroke.

Oh, PUHLEEEEEEEEEEEASE! Not the Black people can't float crap again. It's true that some blacks may have denser bones, but the reason there are no or few top black swimmers almost certainly has to do with lack of access to high quality swimming facilities and training. There aren't a whole lot of black skiers or equestrians either. Those are expensive sports.

Jesus.

Haha yeah, sorry, I just think that sounds stupid. The fastest man in the world is Black...pretty sure he wouldn't be so freakin fast if he had too much mass.

mfpcopine

There's really no stereotype when looking at the population as a whole. Women of all colors come in all sizes.

Thank you. Sure, there are some generalizations that hold SOME truth; people of some African ancestry often have somewhat bigger butts. But not everyone.

And the idea that every black woman in America is happy about being overweight or obese is nuts. Unless you believe that all fat people are jolly.

yoovie

I really hope you arent serious...

I would check your frame first - if you have a larger frame you can weigh more, if you have a tiny frame - you should aim for less. And either way, the BMI is crap when it comes to the fact that you probably have LOTS of muscle and it doesnt account for your lean mass. I would stick to going by your body fat percentage- the BMI is as out-dated as the aerobics leotards they used in the 70s girl!

BAMFMeredith

You do realize that BMI is all about money right? I read an article somewhere about how BMI has been changed a few times because if they make certain BMI overweight it mean money can be made(weight loss places) or given(goverment grants). I think it is a better idea to look at body fat percentage. I truly believe each person is different. I have some black friends and family members that are shapeless and I have white friends that are just as built as what stereotypically is considered to be a black womans figure.

SO TRUE!! It's all about insurance companies being able to charge higher premiums. My mother, who is a personal trainer and has 19-20% body fat at 57 years old (seriously, the healthiest woman I know) was told her BMI put her in the "overweight" category so her insurance premium went up. Talk about some bullshizzzz!

tuffytuffy1

Well, based on your profile picture, you look pretty damn great to me!