Hello lovely!
Right, I’ve just had the most wonderful chat with a client, and as soon as she left, I rushed straight here to share it with you too. She was upset by what she’d just been told by a Doctor, a few tears were shed, and we put it all right!
Have you ever been upset, annoyed or even shocked when your doc said you were clinically obese on the BMI scale? Or have you ever wondered if the BMI is accurate?
We are going to talk about exactly why the BMI scale is a load of BS, why it can cause so much stress, and why the BMI is such an outdated, inaccurate method for determining health.
Strap in!
I’m sick and tired of this BMI rubbish, so apologies if this comes across as a bit shouty and ranty! I’m not shouting at you, I’m just passionate about this subject, and it really gets my goat when women are told misinformation about their health and bodies that really causes emotional damage and confusion.
Ready?
My lovely client, let’s call her Jane, was a little teary when she came in, she’d just been for a “health check” at the doctor’s office, and he told her that she’s, I quote: “you’re clinically obese, you really need to consider your lifestyle choices”.
My jaw dropped, she started crying, and I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
See, Jane is so health-conscious, she exercises, lifts weight’s atleast 4 times a week, eats really well, drinks plenty of water, sleeps well, has no health problems, zero medications, she’s happy.
She’s been actively paying attention to herself for the past year, really working on creating health, inside and out.
She is of balanced proportion, body composition, and she’s a stunning 5ft7
Jane is the kind of woman you’d look at on the street and appreciate her beauty. She looks and feels healthy. She’s also a UK size 10.
How is it possible that she’s come up as ‘Clinically Obese’?
Why The BMI Scale is Flawed
The reason for this is that the BMI only takes into account 2 metrics to measure our overall health:
Total body weight
/
Height
The BMI scale will work against you if you are:
- Tall and/or
- Have built muscle tissue through weight training/sport
In Jane’s case, she is totally screwed when it comes to the BMI chart, as she’s tall AND she has some quality muscle on her frame.
One thing Jnae is most definitely not is obese.
The exact same thing happened to me, back in the day, when I was competing as a female bodybuilder. I can’t remember what I was going to the doctors for back then, but however it came about, he did a BMI check for me.
Now, because I was carrying some decent muscle tissue, I was wayyyyyy in the red, ‘Clinically Obese’ apparently.
I remember I laughed out loud when he said it, and I could even see that he wasn’t in agreement with it either, but didn’t explain any further; he just said that I should watch my fat intake.
What a bloody joke. Fat intake?
This is another post that I will write about because we’ve been brainwashed for years to believe that fat is bad for us.
Yes, there are some terrible fats, inflammatory-causing fats, seed oils, fake fats, etc, but so many women get told to cut out fats completely to lower cholesterol and lose weight, but good quality fats ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR HORMONES.
We can’t make any sex hormones without the presence of dietary fats.
Fat doesn’t make us fat.
Sugar, stress, and poor sleep are the foundations of weight gain and belly fat.
Anyway, I digress!
So, now we know the BMI is such an outdated, inaccurate measurement of health, what should we be doing instead?
Waist Circumference – The measurement that actually works
Waist circumference has been shown in numerous studies worldwide to be a good indicator of metabolic health.
Your waist circumference is the distance around your waist, just above your hips.
Waist circumference can be an important health indicator. Experts believe a higher waist circumference is linked to a greater risk of certain health conditions.
Unlike BMI, which measures total body mass, waist circumference specifically highlights abdominal fat (visceral fat), which is more metabolically active and more cause for concern than subcutaneous fat (fat under the skin).
How to measure your waist circumference yourself
All you need is a tape measure.
- Start in a standing position.
- 1″ or two finger widths above the belly button is where you want to measure.
- Check that the tape is parallel to the floor, forming a horizontal line across your body.
- The tape shouldn’t press into your skin, but it should be a snug fit.
- Take the measurement after breathing out.
For Women:
Less than 35″ is preferable.
Many studies have shown that being at or above this puts one at increased risk for diabetes and other health complications.
This is NOT medical advice, but simply a starting point.
Final thoughts
Measuring your waist circumference can give you an indication of how much belly fat you have. But being in good health doesn’t mean you need to get too wrapped up in the numbers.
I’m not a huge fan of being neurotic about numbers. I don’t own bathroom scales; the last time I weighed myself was around 10 years ago!
But I do love using how I feel in my clothes as a guide, but more importantly, how I feel within myself, my energy levels, and my emotional well-being.
Yes, waist circumference is a handy tool, absolutely a better option over the BMI, but the main areas I encourage women to feel in to are:
- How do I feel about my body?
- Am I happy about the way I look and feel?
- Am I relying on medications?
- Am I sleeping well consistently?
- Do I wake up feeling energised and refreshed?
- Is my skin clear?
- Do I have any digestive issues (bloating, IBS, gas)
How we feel, emotionally, spiritually, and physically far outweigh any numbers on a scale.
In Love & Health,
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