"asian thin" vs. "american thin"?

acogg

There are alot of cultural differences involved though. I did notice there is much more malnurishment and everyone walks EVERYWHERE there.

That's the truth. They think nothing of walking four miles to get to the pub. They think Americans are silly because we will drive if it's four blocks. lol

purpleipod

Have you ever looked at the average Asian woman's body structure? They are naturally tiny. I usually look big beside them and I'm only 5'3. Their version of thin vs. a Caucasian's version of thin is always going to be different.

Erisad

I totally understand this. When I was younger, I used to pray that I would turn into an Asian girl so I would be tiny and pretty forever...yeah that didn't happen. Oh well, life goes on. :laugh:

Noflexing

if you keep trying to compare yourself to others your never going to get anywhere. "you can't get ahead when you're trying to get even." you're not getting fit to be classified as 'thin' by the world, you're getting fit for your own personal goals and that's all that matters.

Lalouse

Did you know that the BMI doesn't work for most asians who live in Asia? BMI is unreliable when you go across cultures and should not be used for comparison purposes. You're right; most Asians, men and women, are thin and have a very low BMI, making many of them categorized as underweight by Western standards.. when many are actually perfectly healthy.

BMI also doesn't work for muscular people (my doctor joked to my husband that he is obese, but actually he is extremely fit), and other cultures.

A better measure for your health is waist circumference (under 35 for women) and body fat %.

That said, most Americans are overweight or obese and so you also shouldn't compare yourself to them. Figure out how much body fat you have to lose and go for that. You'll lose the appropriate weight accordingly.

briannadunn

I have Asian friends and I would say they all have tiny bones and tiny bone structures and unless you fall into that category then you are not going to be as thin as them, even at your lightest. I think that American people are so used to being fat and seeing fat people that they have a screwed sense of what healthy is and what thin is and I for one am going to fight the same battle when I reach my goal weight. I am 5'5'' (give or take) and I know at 132 pounds (which is my ultimate goal) I will look to thin to many but according to all of my charts and the doctors I should be there, I will be nothing but muscle but that is ok.

Back to you, if you are happy at your weight then stick to it, don't worry about your Asian friends, you aren't them and we don't live in Asia. They have a different eating structure and some of them don't get all of the nutrients. I feel sorry for anyone who gets turned away for not being a size 0. My Cousin lives in Japan and feels that she is fat too..She is by their standards and has to import her clothes.

wolfchild59

I admittedly haven't read this entire thread, but I understand the OP's point of view. I have one particular Asian friend that is one of the skinniest of the girls in her group of friends and in the circle of friends that I'm a part of with her as well. But whenever she goes home her aunt and grandmother are constantly telling her how fat being in the US has made her and she has a horrible body image because all of her relatives that are still at home are way skinnier than she is and always point it out.

It's really sad because she's got a really nice shape/figure, is thin but healthy (not just skinny/skinny fat), she runs 5Ks on a fairly regular basis and clocks good times, and she's able to maintain that along with mostly eating what she wants (not that she binges, she's just a foodie that enjoys eating good stuff). But she's always upset and often beats herself up when she does eat because she thinks she's fat and worries about what her family will say to her the next time she takes a trip home.

portwein

American culture, too much cheap available food, lack of exercise, sedentary jobs, stress and on and on. And still many people still want to come to the states. Look at pictures of Americans one generation ago. We know look huge to them. Take a look at Asians a generation ago, and you will see little difference.

BinaryPulsar

I'm reading some of these comments and just want to chime in and say that not all small people are skinny fat or unhealthy. Some people do have a small bone structure (and not just Asian women). It's not good, bad, better, worse. It's just one of the ways that we are not all carbon copies of one another.

Rocbola

It is a cultural thing. Unfortunately so many Asians that do come to America end up gaining quite a bit of weight because of factors like, work, commuting (eating because bored or stressed), and basically portions compared to that of how food is here compared to Asia.
But all in all it's controllable.

It's a food thing. When they come to America, they drop their native high carb/low fat, real food diet and get onto a high fat, highly processed, calorie dense American diet.

christine24t

I think you look great. But I do notice that Asian women are generally very, very thin. However, you do have a bigger chest than most Asians I've met.

I knew an exchange student from Asia who gained some weight over here in America. She looked fine for American standards of thin, but to her, she was fat.

eatathome

More than 70% of the world's malnourished children live in Asia. So. . .there's the problem of not enough food to eat.

But yeah, there's the cultural thing. My dude is Mexican and he'd love for me to put on 20lbs. He likes big butts and he cannot lie.

mkim3138

I'm Asian-American, I find most Asian people to be too thin. When my relatives come visit me they say, what the f are you eating, why are you so big. I just flex on em, i don't let it bother me lol :laugh:

claritarejoice

That's a great BBC calculator, interesting.

What the heck is up with that HK doctor's BMI calculator?! I'm ahealthy BMI but that calculator says I'm obese II/severe risk? Or did I use it wrong? lol.

I couldn't find any clothes that fit me in Thailand.

I grew up in South America. I'm 5'7" tall and growing up, I always thought I was monstrously tall - everyone was significantly shorter than me. When I moved to the US it was very, very strange to be an average height - quite a mental adjustment.

Cool thread.

dcdemocrat34

A good friend of mine is Vietnamese, and she always says this! She's a size 6, so I want to poke her eye out with a chopstick, and shes gorgeous. I feel like if you are comfortable then screw it, don't compare yourself to others.

dmpizza

That's the same as "New York Thin".

JanieJack

I am not Asian, but I have many Asian friends and I understand what you mean. Some people are just built naturally thinner. My friends mom is tiny by "normal American" standards, but get her around the other Thai mommas and she sticks out like a sore thumb.

So when she complains about being fat, I don't roll my eyes like I would for a "normal American" her size.

The best you can do is what works for YOUR body type.

YaGigi

That's the same as "New York Thin".

Upper east side thin!

msbunnie68

Aussie BMI chart ratings....just for comparison.

Classification BMI Risk of co-morbidities

Underweight <18.50 Low (but risk of other clinical problems increased)
Normal range 18.50 - 24.99 Average
Overweight: >25.00
Preobese 25.00 - 29.99 Increased
Obese class 1 30.00 - 34.99 Moderate
Obese class 2 35.00 - 39.99 Severe
Obese class 3 >40.00 Very severe

lwagnitz

I had 3 Chinese roommates one summer that were here working just for the summer. They thought Lebron James was fat...soo...

I don't know. lol