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The idea that type 2 diabetes is related to obesity has been around for a long time, and probably has merit. The idea that I am at risk because I cannot fit in

The idea that type 2 diabetes is related to obesity has been around for a long time, and probably has merit. The idea that I am at risk because I cannot fit into jeans I wore at 21 is a joke. I weigh 32% more now than I did at 21, but my BMI is healthy. I was VERY skinny at 21, almost to the point of being unhealthy.

bravetraveler 5y ago
My first thought... This might be a true statement for people with the same path. I was ridiculously athletic at 21, I can't maintain that index forever
- silicon2401 5y ago
  Why do you think you can't maintain that index forever? Were you extremely heavy with muscle, or extremely skinny and low-muscle?
  - bravetraveler 5y ago
    Super duper lean, never was able to hold onto much muscle. Probably more to do with my activities of choice though, mostly 'cardio' from skateboarding/swimming/running I'd wager. This has completely fallen on its face though, admittedly way too sedentary for my own good anymore...
    - silicon2401 5y ago
      There's a useful article that was posted on HN recently about how metabolism doesn't change from years 20-60. Except for legitimate health conditions, the only reason for weight change from 21 years old is lifestyle and diet. Hence this thread's original topic is entirely plausible: there's no biological reason one shouldn't wear the same jeans one wore when they were 21. In your case it also holds true: it doesn't take extreme athleticism to be lean, just a healthy and moderate diet. That may not seem normal today where obesity is becoming an everyday thing, but the average weight today is what's unhealthy, not being able to wear the same jeans you wore at 21. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58186710 https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58186710
      - anonymousiam 5y ago
        Here's the BMI chart: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmi_tbl.pdf https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmi... My weight at 21 was below the "Normal" range for my height. Today (at 59) it is at the upper-end of "Normal".
melling 5y ago
I think what is happening is that when we increase our weight, at some point our internal organs are storing the fat. "Fatty" liver or pancreas. Not sure how the body decides where to put the excess fat. Getting the body to lose the fat inside the organs is the goal. Starving ourselves, for example, would cause muscle to burn first.
- JohnWhigham 5y ago
  Starving ourselves, for example, would cause muscle to burn first Incorrect. Fasting is very muscle sparing.
  - toomuchtodo 5y ago
    Indeed, strength training during fasting will also further protect muscle tissue from breakdown during fasts.
- NikolaeVarius 5y ago
  Starving works fine to lose weight
vkk8 5y ago
Can't say about your particular situation, but I think that, in general, our view of what is "normal weight" is very distorted due to the fact that most people around us are kinda fat. The same goes for exercising habits; people who don't move much often see twice a week jogging or something as a good amount of exercise. While it is certainly better than nothing and probably more than many people get, it's still much, much less than an average person exercised a hundred years ago by just living a normal life. A person who doesn't provide any kind of stimulus to maintain their muscle mass can have low BMI too much body fat at the same time.
Spivak 5y ago
This is such an HN comment to take a statement that's broadly true and a good one-liner that's understandable for most people, point out an exception, and conclude that the whole thing is false, pointless and they should have phrased it super precisely to account for edge cases that people with any amount of common sense get immediately. * If you were underweight when you were 21 you probably shouldn't strive to be underweight again. * If you were overweight when you were 21 you probably shouldn't strive to be overweight again. But if you're in that HUUUGE in-between where you have that pair of jeans you wore in college and really liked but now don't fit into anymore and rationalized it as "well I'm not young anymore" you are the target of this messaging. Because if you want stay healthy as you age and "slow down" putting on weight is the worst thing you could do.
- browningstreet 5y ago
  I'll go one more: if your waist is bigger than your chest, you're not in good shape. There are ways to use and abuse this rule, but it holds pretty true.
- commandlinefan 5y ago
  There are bound to be a lot of people who don't WANT this to be true and will look for any possible evidence that it might not be.
sslayer 5y ago
Generalizations have ruined science/media/reporting
rasz 5y ago
This has nothing to do with particular dimensionality of jeans. This is US Political Correctness gone wild. Cant say "People who got FAT risk developing diabetes", it could hurt someones feelings! Just google "all shapes and sizes" and be bombarded with stuff like https://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/2020/01/24/health-at-every-size/ https://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/2020/01/24/health-at-e... Accept your size. Trust yourself. Embrace size diversity.

bravetraveler 5y ago

My first thought... This might be a true statement for people with the same path. I was ridiculously athletic at 21, I can't maintain that index forever

silicon2401 5y ago
Why do you think you can't maintain that index forever? Were you extremely heavy with muscle, or extremely skinny and low-muscle?
- bravetraveler 5y ago
  Super duper lean, never was able to hold onto much muscle. Probably more to do with my activities of choice though, mostly 'cardio' from skateboarding/swimming/running I'd wager. This has completely fallen on its face though, admittedly way too sedentary for my own good anymore...
  - silicon2401 5y ago
    There's a useful article that was posted on HN recently about how metabolism doesn't change from years 20-60. Except for legitimate health conditions, the only reason for weight change from 21 years old is lifestyle and diet. Hence this thread's original topic is entirely plausible: there's no biological reason one shouldn't wear the same jeans one wore when they were 21. In your case it also holds true: it doesn't take extreme athleticism to be lean, just a healthy and moderate diet. That may not seem normal today where obesity is becoming an everyday thing, but the average weight today is what's unhealthy, not being able to wear the same jeans you wore at 21. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58186710 https://www.bbc.com/news/health-58186710
    - anonymousiam 5y ago
      Here's the BMI chart: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmi_tbl.pdf https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmi... My weight at 21 was below the "Normal" range for my height. Today (at 59) it is at the upper-end of "Normal".

melling 5y ago

I think what is happening is that when we increase our weight, at some point our internal organs are storing the fat. "Fatty" liver or pancreas. Not sure how the body decides where to put the excess fat. Getting the body to lose the fat inside the organs is the goal. Starving ourselves, for example, would cause muscle to burn first.

JohnWhigham 5y ago
Starving ourselves, for example, would cause muscle to burn first Incorrect. Fasting is very muscle sparing.
- toomuchtodo 5y ago
  Indeed, strength training during fasting will also further protect muscle tissue from breakdown during fasts.
NikolaeVarius 5y ago
Starving works fine to lose weight

vkk8 5y ago

Can't say about your particular situation, but I think that, in general, our view of what is "normal weight" is very distorted due to the fact that most people around us are kinda fat. The same goes for exercising habits; people who don't move much often see twice a week jogging or something as a good amount of exercise. While it is certainly better than nothing and probably more than many people get, it's still much, much less than an average person exercised a hundred years ago by just living a normal life. A person who doesn't provide any kind of stimulus to maintain their muscle mass can have low BMI too much body fat at the same time.

Spivak 5y ago

This is such an HN comment to take a statement that's broadly true and a good one-liner that's understandable for most people, point out an exception, and conclude that the whole thing is false, pointless and they should have phrased it super precisely to account for edge cases that people with any amount of common sense get immediately. * If you were underweight when you were 21 you probably shouldn't strive to be underweight again. * If you were overweight when you were 21 you probably shouldn't strive to be overweight again. But if you're in that HUUUGE in-between where you have that pair of jeans you wore in college and really liked but now don't fit into anymore and rationalized it as "well I'm not young anymore" you are the target of this messaging. Because if you want stay healthy as you age and "slow down" putting on weight is the worst thing you could do.

browningstreet 5y ago
I'll go one more: if your waist is bigger than your chest, you're not in good shape. There are ways to use and abuse this rule, but it holds pretty true.
commandlinefan 5y ago
There are bound to be a lot of people who don't WANT this to be true and will look for any possible evidence that it might not be.

sslayer 5y ago

Generalizations have ruined science/media/reporting

rasz 5y ago

This has nothing to do with particular dimensionality of jeans. This is US Political Correctness gone wild. Cant say "People who got FAT risk developing diabetes", it could hurt someones feelings! Just google "all shapes and sizes" and be bombarded with stuff like https://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/2020/01/24/health-at-every-size/ https://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/2020/01/24/health-at-e... Accept your size. Trust yourself. Embrace size diversity.