B.M.I: Body Mass-Hysteria Index
Oh yeah, I've suckered into the diet crap and craze out there. I lost ten/twelve pounds early last year before my weight range plateaued, but I kept that flab off. Lucky me. I've started losing some more since I've upped the workout regiment, so of course I've got struck by the itch to check the latest in BMI charts that scare models scared of BMI restrictions on the rexics.
And of course this check leads me to indignation. Yeah yeah, I've never been like thin-thin; even when I was working at least two-hours daily in high school for sports I weight never was less than 130 for my 5'4 frame. After my glory days in Size 9 (thank you birthing hips that might never give birth) I went to college and went up to size 14 on skinny days. Now, some of that weight's gone so I can do the 12s of some brand that make my mind relaxed about body image, but BMI so screws me up.
BMI, at 5'4 and 155 (160 during bloated week) you call me overweight. First, you don't know my blood pressure, my resting heart rate, and my body temperature--all of which are in the healthy range (and were when you called me obese at 175). Next, you don't know that from exercise I can (again) run the mile in 7:30 and that my hands can lay flat on the ground when I touch my toes (thank you yoga). And of course, dear BMI, you don't know jacksquat about all the barrel-chester people I've descended from who managed to live long lives without you calling them fat when they worked harder than most of us do and they ate less calories than we do. So, BMI, I'm not going to give a hoot or a holler for you like Teenage Girls Who Equate BMI with Social Rank.
And of course this check leads me to indignation. Yeah yeah, I've never been like thin-thin; even when I was working at least two-hours daily in high school for sports I weight never was less than 130 for my 5'4 frame. After my glory days in Size 9 (thank you birthing hips that might never give birth) I went to college and went up to size 14 on skinny days. Now, some of that weight's gone so I can do the 12s of some brand that make my mind relaxed about body image, but BMI so screws me up.
BMI, at 5'4 and 155 (160 during bloated week) you call me overweight. First, you don't know my blood pressure, my resting heart rate, and my body temperature--all of which are in the healthy range (and were when you called me obese at 175). Next, you don't know that from exercise I can (again) run the mile in 7:30 and that my hands can lay flat on the ground when I touch my toes (thank you yoga). And of course, dear BMI, you don't know jacksquat about all the barrel-chester people I've descended from who managed to live long lives without you calling them fat when they worked harder than most of us do and they ate less calories than we do. So, BMI, I'm not going to give a hoot or a holler for you like Teenage Girls Who Equate BMI with Social Rank.