I noticed a really interesting article in the Independent on Saturday.
It basically says that with growing obesity, what people then consider to be "normal" weight has also increased so that many people are now underestimating how fat they really are.
As a result many people are failing to realise they have a problem that needs to be addressed.
People first need to recognise they are overweight and can then do something about it. Otherwise there will not be much motivation to act.
From 1999 to 2007, the amount of people studied who were classed as being overweight (a body mass index of 25 or over) increased by 10% (from 43 to 53%). However the proportion of people who correctly identified themselves went from 81 to 75%.
People classified as obese (a BMI of 30 plus) nearly doubled, but the majority realised they were too fat.
What's your BMI?
To check your own score type 'BMI calculator' into Google and plenty of free options come up.
Is it a good tool? Well it promotes a certain amount of body awareness which is always a good thing. However people who train hard will typically carry more muscle mass, and this is not taken into account with BMI.
So at one end of the scale we have people carrying healthy muscle tissue with low body fat being classed as overweight - maybe even obese if heavily muscled, to thinner looking people who actually have a higher body fat percentage, but being considered "normal".
In between these are the rest of the population for which BMI can provide a good guide.
What's my BMI?
My result is 24.3. This is in the ideal weight for height range, but it is at the top end of this!
At a body fat level of 11%, it's a bit strange to think that if hit the weights hard for a while and put on 2 1/2 kilo's of muscle mass i would then be considered "overweight"!
Steve Cork
www.sussexbootcamps.co.uk
www.everydayathletes.co.uk
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