By Kameelah Wesley
A few years ago, I was required to complete a fitness assessment for a life insurance application. The assessment would determine if I, a certified personal trainer, qualified for premium insurance. I advised my agent that I was in tip top shape and even argued that the testing was pointless. To my surprise and great disappointment, I only qualified for “preferred” coverage, which is better than basic coverage but it’s not “premium”. My test results were excellent - cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. The problem was my weight. Even though my BMI was within the normal range, it was on the high end. My translation or rather question, “are you calling me fat?”
Most Americans are fat. In fact, studies find two out of every three adults in America are fat. That’s 67% , more than 190 million Americans. What’s worst is 1 out every 3 children follow in society’s footsteps. This growing health topic is considered an epidemic - labeled as overweight and obese.
So what’s the difference between obesity and simply being overweight?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the term overweight refers to weight that is at least 10 percent over the recommended weight for a certain individual. Recommended weight standards are generated based on a sampling of the U.S. population or by body mass index (BMI), a calculation that assesses weight relative to height. In common terms, “overweight” refers to an individual with a BMI of more than 25.
Obesity is generally defined as an excessive amount of body fat in relation to lean body mass. In numeric terms, obesity refers to a body weight that is at least 30 percent over the ideal weight for a specified height. More commonly, obesity refers to any individual with a BMI of more than 30.
My health assessment was not completely accurate since the testing did not measure body fat. Two people can have the same BMI but different levels of body fat due to the fact that muscle weighs three times more than fat. An elite athlete may have an identical BMI to a sedentary individual of the same height and weight, but the elite athlete will be considered "healthier" since his body fat percentage is lower. A high percentage of body fat is unhealthy because it increases susceptibility to heart disease, Type II diabetes, cancers, and other various medical problems.
Many African Americans coined the phrases “I’m thick”, “I’m big boned”, etc. These statements maintain and validate unhealthy lifestyles. Being healthy does not translate to being skinny and always on a diet. Most Americans want to be healthier, which is proven by the extreme growth in fad diets, weight loss pills, weight loss clubs, gyms, and weight loss equipment. The problem is most of these solutions do not adequately address the real reason most people are overweight.
It is not your mouth or your muscles that is preventing you from losing weight. It is your brain. Most stick with a “solution” for several weeks, lose a few pounds – then go right back into the old routine – eating fast food, indulging in sweets, not working out, etc. Lifestyle changes are required to fix this epidemic
We can not permanently lose the “fat” label until we change and strengthen the grey matter between our ears – the brain - our most powerful organ…and it’s the solution! Let’s fix our minds to make healthier lifestyle choices! Throw away the excuses and just do it!
