BMI for African Americans/Blacks/Browns

Oh dear. I was hoping this would be gone. Since it isn't...

Permit me to tell you about Black women from the South. My ancestors were shipped directly to Charleston, SC from Sierra Leone. Over the course of generations, they were bred for strength, intelligence, and endurance...all culminating in the genetic wonder that is Beastette. NOT so that I can giggle about how my cardiovascular health is declining but my man sure does like some extra booty meat (tee-hee)! That ****z cray.

Lift heavy, eat well, watch your body fat and hip-to-waist ratio, my sisters of all shades. If you need me, I'll be in the squat rack.

:flowerforyou: :drinker:

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By American Standards I am 2.3% overweight, I should be weighing around 155, which means I need 2 lose about 20 lbs...I weighed 174.2, BMI was 27.3, BP was 110/74, Total Cholesterol was 117, HDL 58, nonHDL 59, Glucose 73, my fat was 41.2%, I am suppose to be in a range of 21-33%, Fat Mass was 71.81, suppose 2 be 27.2-50.41 range & they said I shud eat 1565 to maintain my weight...EXCUSE ME, BUT WHERE IS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN/BLACK & BROWN FOLKS BODY MASS INDEX LOCATED??? Cuz the folks in the south say Im a HEALTHY weight & I think I nd 2 create anotha type of BMI!!!!!!!! I am heavy in the hips & thighs & I think I look good just like I am, these standards are so not realistic!!!! BMI 4 Blacks is a need, we are circumferenced different!!!!!

There is only 1/2 of 1% variation of DNA for all humans regardless of race or ethnic background. While you may carry above average muscle mass, you are certainly also carrying above average fat stores as well.

So with that being said, if you're happy with how you look and your health indicators are good, no need to lose weight. However, don't confuse that with "I don't have any weight I could lose", which is not the case.

Thank everyone for their 2 pennies, but lets move on gee-wiz!!!! If Im fat Im fat, if Im skinny Im skinny, I think I look great & thats all that matters, I will be trying to get that fat % back down tho!:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

I'm glad you are happy and think you look great! That is awesome. But please remember that health matters too. It should at least.

I agree that BMI calculations suck, it doesn't account for a lot of things, but honestly, I feel like a lot of women of color like to use our uniquely shaped/proportioned bodies as excuses to remain overweight and unhealthy. *Don't pull out your guns and pitch forks nah!* Yes, Black women are more curvy and volumptuous than other women but that line between healthy-curvy and unhealthy-curvy is very thin! I think that we need to find a way to maintain our culturally defined curves without sacrificing/neglecting our health. And yes, there are a lot of Black men who like thicker women but sadly, those are the same women who are suffering with hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, diabetes, heart problems, and a shortened lifespan. We need to stop being complacent with these socially acceptable standards for our health and well-being when they bear harmful and costly consequences.

~Tasha~

This! As a health care provider I cringe when I hear black women say being 30-40 lbs is not really overweight because they have curves. Um no! Yes we store fat generally in our buttocks and hips, but I see a lot of black women with high abdominal girth that is extremely not healthy. I do agree that BMI is overrated, but unless you have a high muscle mass then its usually a reflection of your current health/weight status. There are many women of color who are not overrated. Honestly, the bigger is better mantra needs to go from the community, since it is only detrimental to our overall health in the long run.

WE have to build our body image(s) to the standards and morays of OUR community.

Why so? Why not build your body to your own standards? Also, what do marine eels (morays) have to do with this?

I am actually really sick of the BS excuse that southern food is so horrible and unhealthy.

Case in point: typical meals of my grandparents:
1. bakes chicken or some kind of seafood boil or stew (tomato based)
2. beans with a hambone and tomatoes for flavor (the smoked pork is not adding many calories, ham is lean)
3. mustard or collard greens with vinegar (and some smoked pok for flavor. a couple of ounces of pork for a huge pot of greens isn't a problem
4. lots produce from the garden
5. chicken perlou (this is basically a southern equivalent to arroz con pollo or chicken biryani)
6. baked or roasted sweet potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
7. fresh eggs from their chickens or a neighbors
8. home smoked ham/bacon/etc
9. Roasted meats
10. all kinds of combos of beans, rice and veggies (with okra and tomatoes....greens....whatever else)
11. real butter or lard (these things are transfat free and not the villains we make them out to be, you need less fat if the fat is tasty)
12. snacks were nuts or fruits or sweet potatoes at my mom's house (peanuts, pecans, plums, peaches, cucumbers...)

Those other things: fried food, biscuits, cake whatever only showed up on holidays or special occasions. The problem is, people started pretending every day was a special occasion. And replacing homemade ingredients with processed stuff.

People really need to get back to the real traditional southern foods: beans, greens, and veggies. Those are the true southern staples.

I think that the BMI scale was developed by/for insurance companies who have a heavily vested interest in the health of people d/t insurance policies. So it is based on averages not individual cases. On average, people above and below certain BMI values have more health issues. It's not perfect but it is an indicator for future and present health.

The BMI was invented by some Belgian guys back in the 1800's, actually. Conspiracy theories: sorry for your loss.

Which ultimately was adapted by scientists for insurers. A little learning is a dangerous thing.

My family is originally from the south and I grew up around the attitude that it was weird to be thin.

On my mother's side of my large family, I and one of my cousins are the only ones who are not overweight or obese. One of my cousins has a 13 year old daughter who is 200 pounds. My grandma had diabetes and hypertension, as do my mom and three of my five aunts.

I was a naturally skinny, and I do mean super skinny, child. Even now, I'm not overweight, but at the upper end of the ideal weight range for my height. My body fat percentage is too high for my liking and that's what I'm trying to lower. My thin cousin, who is 17, was overweight but decided to change her lifestyle a couple of years ago.

Of the above, who do you think gets the flak in the family? It's us thinnies, of course. In my teens and 20s, I was often told that I was "too skinny" and had a "white girl booty". One of my aunts who I hadn't seen in a while said to me, "You *still* exercise? Why? You're skinny." Um, I was a size six for all of my adult life up until a few years ago and now I'm a size 12. On my small frame, size 12 is *not* skinny. It's not fat either, but it's definitely not "skinny". And my body size aside, if I were eating right and working out just to stave off the weight correlated diseases that run in the family, I would think that is cause for commendation instead of concern.

My mom and another cousin who I am close to are the only ones I mention my fitness goals to. The rest of my family thinks that I'm "trying to become anorexic" because I want to lose 15 pounds. I have more examples, but you get the point. There were also various comments from family friends over the years. It's sad that it's so culturally ingrained in a lot of black people that being "thick" (irritating use of the word) is perfectly normal, but aiming for a healthy bf% is an eating disorder.

As for curves, my measurements were 36-26-35 when I was a size six and were 38-32(ugh)-40 when I last measured myself in January. Proportionally, my waist and hips are the same and I did and do have an hourglass shape. A smaller clothing size does not equate to being flat as a board.

I think that the BMI scale was developed by/for insurance companies who have a heavily vested interest in the health of people d/t insurance policies. So it is based on averages not individual cases. On average, people above and below certain BMI values have more health issues. It's not perfect but it is an indicator for future and present health.

The BMI was invented by some Belgian guys back in the 1800's, actually. Conspiracy theories: sorry for your loss.

Which ultimately was adapted by scientists for insurers. A little learning is a dangerous thing.

I read and responded to EXACTLY what you wrote which is: "I think that the BMI scale was developed by/for insurance companies". No need to get so defensive: I was helping you learn, after all.