Don't Weigh Me, Bro--Good Idea, or Nah?

[LongJim]

Interesting.  The article states: 

"They’re a subtle way to send a strong message to medical staff: “Please don’t weigh me unless it’s (really) medically necessary. If you really need my weight, please tell me why so that I can give you my informed consent”

Boy--You're Gonna Carry That Weight. Carry That Weight A Long Tiiime!

[Censored by Laurie]

I like it. I've long held that weight and BMI are very poor metrics of actual health, but since they're the most readily self-calculated they're what people focus/obsess over.

[MeanGreenPatriot]

1 hour ago, Censored by Laurie said:

I like it. I've long held that weight and BMI are very poor metrics of actual health, but since they're the most readily self-calculated they're what people focus/obsess over.

Health Risks of Overweight & Obesity | NIDDK (nih.gov)

[LongJim]

1 hour ago, Censored by Laurie said:

I've long held that weight and BMI are very poor metrics of actual health...

Yeah, I don't disagree here.  But I think there's probably a tipping point.  And I say that as someone who could stand to lose a few.

 

[Censored by Laurie]

17 minutes ago, LongJim said:

Yeah, I don't disagree here.  But I think there's probably a tipping point.  And I say that as someone who could stand to lose a few.

I mean, same...but that's where having a broader understanding of health plays in.

per simply a BMI calculation, every running back on our roster is obese. 

weight becomes a problematic focus of eating disorders...and I think measures taken toward changing how we view bodies and health are important. 

[UNTLifer]

BMI is the worst indicator of someone's health as it never takes in to account lean body mass.

[Cr1028]

4 hours ago, Censored by Laurie said:

I mean, same...but that's where having a broader understanding of health plays in.

per simply a BMI calculation, every running back on our roster is obese. 

weight becomes a problematic focus of eating disorders...and I think measures taken toward changing how we view bodies and health are important. 

 

8 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

BMI is the worst indicator of someone's health as it never takes in to account lean body mass.

Couldn’t agree more with both of you guys. It is nice to see you on the same side of an argument.

[MDH]

At the age of 35 I'm now playing this to my advantage. In my 20s I had a fair amount of lean body mass. In my 30s I'm trading that for beer weight. Look mom, no change in weight/BMI!

[Quoner]

On 2/1/2022 at 3:58 PM, Cr1028 said:

 

Couldn’t agree more with both of you guys. It is nice to see you on the same side of an argument.

Just to even further align this unlikely roundtable, this old story gives very surface level analysis of why BMI sucks: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439

The insurance industry loves it and continues to push for it to never go away. Personally, I love proving I can still run relatively fast miles and getting weighed by a mobile nerd as much as the next guy to keep life insurance payments low whenever I need to raise the policy, but this thing is in a big pile of money making trash right next to the unnecessarily complicated tax filing process (shout out to Intuit lobbyists!) and a perfect pillar of the non-sustainable weight loss/wellness industry that make certain people very rich or richer (grita a Lirio del Desierto!)

Maybe there is hope for this section of the board to band together after all. 

[UNTLifer]

Insurance is the only industry that uses that measuring system.  I have worked in health/wellness/fitness for almost thirty years and have never, ever used the BMI as a measurement tool.  Sadly, this is one of the first things people ask about because it has been hammered in to their brains.  Kind of like sweat is a measure of output.

[LongJim]

I agree that the BMI is an outdated, semi-useless measurement.  I think the cards themselves are a bit wussy, and over the top, but people are different and I'm sure they are necessary for some, and that's ok, if so.

And this place shouldn't ever be a place where we can't disagree.  Sometimes forcefully.  To have a conversation, you have to risk being offended.  If you can't handle that, then you probably need to sit it out.  It's when things get personal that there's a problem.

 

[Censored by Laurie]

22 hours ago, Quoner said:

Just to even further align this unlikely roundtable, this old story gives very surface level analysis of why BMI sucks: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439

The insurance industry loves it and continues to push for it to never go away. Personally, I love proving I can still run relatively fast miles and getting weighed by a mobile nerd as much as the next guy to keep life insurance payments low whenever I need to raise the policy, but this thing is in a big pile of money making trash right next to the unnecessarily complicated tax filing process (shout out to Intuit lobbyists!) and a perfect pillar of the non-sustainable weight loss/wellness industry that make certain people very rich or richer (grita a Lirio del Desierto!)

Maybe there is hope for this section of the board to band together after all. 

I mean...if we're being honest, world peace itself is really just dependent upon a small handful of egotistical, over-weight old white men reaching consensus. 

[Censored by Laurie]

28 minutes ago, LongJim said:

I agree that the BMI is an outdated, semi-useless measurement.  I think the cards themselves are a bit wussy, and over the top, but people are different and I'm sure they are necessary for some, and that's ok, if so.

And this place shouldn't ever be a place where we can't disagree.  Sometimes forcefully.  To have a conversation, you have to risk being offended.  If you can't handle that, then you probably need to sit it out.  It's when things get personal that there's a problem.

 

totally...I've always found this place to be rife with legitimate political discourse

[LongJim]

1 minute ago, Censored by Laurie said:

totally...I've always found this place to be rife with legitimate political discourse

No disagreement from me regarding the absurdity contained in the article and regarding the event you reference.

But that's politics, so can't get into it here anyway.

[SteaminWillieBeamin]

On 2/1/2022 at 11:44 AM, Censored by Laurie said:

per simply a BMI calculation, every running back on our roster is obese. 

No doctor would look at their BMI and be confused or concerned. But if they lose 20lbs unexpectedly, it's a data point on health... Weight plays into cancer risks, diabetes, etc.  It is not a wild body shaming social construct. 

The hate for the BMI because it's imperfect is akin to hating a vaccine because it's not 100% prevention.

Can you be healthy and "overweight" - sure. But should we even call it that based on how a basketball player would be in the overweight category? Yes ... 99% of the people coming into clinic are categorized correctly and it's a simple way to talk about risks within ranges. For that 1%, the doctor knows it doesn't apply.. 

When I saw this article earlier this week, I told my friends that we need a "don't ask about my drinking" card. How dare they try to shame me for my sixer every night? 

Edited February 5, 2022 by SteaminWillieBeamin