4 ms·

Why, how many Americans have the figure of Tom Brady? Is that number big enough to have a meaningful impact on average BMIs? I don’t understand why everyone is

• lumost 6y ago
  It makes it so that people don't have a strong sense of what a healthy version of themselves is, and can assert that they must be healthy "as they are". I've found Body fat % to be a more useful number, it's easy to understand what you'd look like with 10% less body fat - and you won't see many/any athletes with 30%+ body fat. When I first started tracking this I was shocked by the initial number (35%) and managed to work it down to 17% over time, my total weight didn't change by more than 5%.
  • mmcconnell1618 6y ago
    I think body fat percentage is a reasonable metric but even that isn't absolute. For example, studies on Sumo wrestlers in Japan found that while they had lots of fat, they didn't suffer from the adverse affects of obesity while they maintained their active workout schedule. Once they left the career and stopped exercising, the obesity related health problems showed up. Exercise and activity play a significant role in overall health, not just fat percentage and weight. https://www.businessinsider.com/sumo-wrestlers-obesity-diet-calories-exercise-symptoms-2019-3#:~:text=CT%20scans%20reveal%20that%20sumo,much%20visceral%20fat%20at%20all.&text=That's%20why%20scientists%20think%20sumo,%2C%20heart%20attack%2C%20and%20stroke https://www.businessinsider.com/sumo-wrestlers-obesity-diet-....
• sergiotapia 6y ago
  Because it forces people to confront the reality of their obesity and how out of shape they are.