I have heard from many people, including my doctor's office, that the government height and weight scales are way too rigid in labeling people "overweight" and "obese". I thought this was an interesting press release along those lines..

-------------------------
Sep 10, 2003 11:43 ET

Dr. Phil is Dr. Fat, According to Uncle Sam

Pop TV Psychologist Promotes Best-Selling Weight Loss Book, Yet Skewed Government Standards Still Label Him Nearly Obese

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- A USA Today story reports that he runs five nine-minute miles every morning, lifts weights daily, plays tennis every afternoon and watches what he eats. But at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Dr. Phil is still considered very overweight and on the edge of the dreaded "obese" label, according to skewed government fat standards.


Despite his model healthy lifestyle, Dr. Phil's height and weight demonstrate one of many flaws with how the government measures the nation's waistline and confuses the debate about how serious the nation's obesity really is. In 1998, the U.S. Government changed the standards by which Body Mass Index (BMI) is measured. As a result, over 39 million Americans were shifted from a government-approved "healthy" weight to the overweight category -- without gaining an ounce.


Dr. Phil is in good company, though. "Bad Boys II" star Will Smith and "The Matrix Reloaded's" Keanu Reaves join him in the "overweight" bunch, while Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe qualify for Uncle Sam's "obese" label.


These rigged government scales tip the balance in favor of trial lawyers, food cops and public health zealots who want "fat taxes" on our favorite foods, and who are filing lawsuits against restaurants and food producers.


The Center for Consumer Freedom has posted the "Does the Government Think You're Fat?" test on its website at www.BMIscale.com. Users can plug in their height and weight and get an instant verdict on how their BMI stacks up against their favorite celebrities and athletes.


The Center for Consumer Freedom is a nonprofit coalition supported by restaurants, food companies, and consumers working together to promote personal responsibility and protect consumer choices. To learn more, visit www.ConsumerFreedom.com.
Source: Center for Consumer Freedom

CONTACT: Mike Burita of the Center for Consumer Freedom,
+1-202-463-7112


Web site: http://www.consumerfreedom.com/
http://www.bmiscale.com/

Poor overweight Keanu Reeves and obese Arnold.

Keanu Reeves is overweight? Horrors!

Yours truly,

Kate Moss

Yeah, I love this. Per the BMI, I should weigh 165. I'm down to around 17% body fat and they still say I'm overweight. I'd have to cut off my head (and thereby immediately lose 40 pounds of ugly fat ) to be considered "normal" by the BMI.

[sigh]

I wonder if Twiggy was considered overweight...

Hmmm Well, I never thought of size 14 being obese. I mean its not the size I want to be...but come on now! Wow, did that make me ever feel good! LOL I am as fat as Tom Cruise? Wowie, I never thought of him being big at all, just handsome! HA

193(march 2003, lost 10 with exercise and cutting back)
Started LCing on Aug. 25,2003
183/178/150

Well Hot Dog (said with sarcasm), I'm, glad to know that I am Govt. approved........ 5'5" and 144

Judy

180/144/138
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." Winston Churchill

What's bad about this is that it can be so easily skewed the opposite way, too. For example, I'm 5'4" and have a large frame and muscular build. My "skinny" weight in my 20's and early 30's was around 130 pounds. I now weigh 140 and am considered normal weight by the BMI (but just barely.) I screwed around with it, plugging in lower and lower numbers just to see what would push me into the "too thin" catagory. It was 110 pounds! Heck, I'd be emaciated at 120, never mind 110. If I were anorectic and weighed a 115 pounds, I could just point to the BMI and say that I was normal weight.

Esther

But... but... My mama always said I was just big-boned!

***********************
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."

Can you explain to me how this is the fault of trial lawyers??

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Can you explain to me how this is the fault of trial lawyers?? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't think that anyone said that the bureaucratically contrived obesity measurements were the fault of trial lawyers. What I read was

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> These rigged government scales tip the balance in favor of trial lawyers, food cops and public health zealots who want "fat taxes" on our favorite foods, and who are filing lawsuits against restaurants and food producers. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

... which happens to be true. The fact is that trial lawyers both lobby for and take advantage of such regulations.

Maybe it's because I'm always reading legal journals and medical journals (having one leg in each field) that I'm so acutely aware of the contingent of my fellow attorneys who feel that the courtroom is an appropriate place to do social engineering, but I thought there was sufficient coverage in the popular press that most people were aware of it.

I think I'm also sensitive to this issue (among others) because I so resent being "engineered" - especially "for my own good" - by legislators, bureaucrats or attorneys ... or anyone else, for that matter.

Just MHO.

Maggie
5'1" ~~ Atkins since '98 (160)/Maintaining nicely (110) ~~ Redhead until further notice!

I liked the noise the scale made when I put my weight in like it was definately going to break.


EEEK,

V

I can do this!!


403/314/220

temp goal: 299.9

Hey. Consider my problem. I injured my back a number of years ago. It works good but I'm getting shorter and shorter. My weight is still the same but my BMI has gone from 23 to 25. Now I'm "overweight" without being able to overindulge

Life is not fair

Atkins - not for my weight but for my heart

Well, I am right where I feel I should be on that scale! I am 5'3 and weigh 153 lbs.
However, my goal, and where I feel best is between 135 and 140. I played with the scale and at 135, I would be normal, but at 140, I would be exactly at the same point on the scale that I am now at 153!
5 lbs makes a huge difference!