I Already Knew This
I’m one of those people that, despite my weight, has been pretty healthy. My most recent blood work from last fall had me with cholesterol under 170, fasting blood sugar at 82, and my blood pressure only slightly elevated at 130 over 85. I take medication that raises my blood pressure, so I take a mild blood pressure pill to bring it down to around 90 over 60. I have been heavy all of my adult life, since about age 15 or so. Some of the weight is genetic, some of the weight is probably some stress-related eating when I was young. I have bad knees (resulting from injuries) and have had to have carpal tunnel surgery and shoulder surgery. These aren’t weight-related. I am, however, medically speaking, obese by my BMI (Body Mass Index).
Over the years, I’ve heard it over and over: lose weight or you’ll die. The BMI, a measure that has been being used for the last 20 years or so, is the only measurement doctors go by to determine whether you are at risk of diabetes, heart problems, etc. But in actuality, BMI is just one factor to consider.
Two new studies out, one by a U.S. group of researchers and one by a Canadian group of researchers, both indicated that 1 in 5 “medically obese” individuals are actually perfectly healthy and show no higher risk of mortality, or life-complicating medical issues, than non-obese people. While BMI has its place, it doesn’t tell the whole story. The whole story is in the numbers; are there problems with diabetes, with cholesterol, with plaque buildup in arteries. For 1 in 5 people, there is nothing but BMI loaded against them.
It is good to hear the research back up what I already knew about myself. I’m healthy. There’s no reason for me not to be healthy if I take care of myself, if I eat right, if I visit my doctor regularly so that I catch problems in their early stages, if I get plenty of exercise (in my case, walking). I don’t smoke, I drink rarely, and I don’t do recreational drugs. My vices are chocolate and diet Coke.
I fully expect to live as long as my dad, if not as long as my grandmother on my dad’s side. She was 100. My dad’s sister was also near 100. My dad is 75 and going strong. My BMI has nothing to do with it. All those other factors do. And at age 50, when I should be showing issues with cholesterol or blood pressure or diabetes, I don’t. My biggest complaint is having to wear bifocals and still fighting with my surgically repaired knees. I have to keep reminding myself that it hasn’t been a year yet, and that I need to practice some patience while they heal. I’m not as young as I used to be.
