Fat Myth
There is an ideal healthy weight
Beginning
in the 1940's, life insurance companies accepted research on ideal weights
even though the methodology was
often not representative of the population and the reported data lacked
standard collecting procedures. Subjects of the
research were typically white men of Northern European descent who could
afford to buy life insurance. The subjects'
weights were self-reported once (usually under-reported) when the policy
was initally bought; weight fluctuations and
death weights were not taken into account. One researcher for Metropolitan
Life Insurance, a biologist named Louis
Dublin, even arbitrarily lowered average reported weights and labeled
them as ideal, what people should attempt to
achieve in order to live longer lives. He redefined overweight as 10%
over ideal and obese as 20-30% over ideal. In the
1980's, various studies were done to counter the previous ones that
were still being used by insurance companies. An
arbitrary, cultural construction of ideal weight continued to flourish.
It was shown in the later studies that a wide range
of healthy weights exists and that only extreme fatness or thinness
would affect mortality rates. In 1989, the National
Research Council published the "Healthy Weights" table that
suggests healthy weight ranges, realizing that scientists have
no precise way to measure healthy body weights.
MYTH:
Where fat is located on the body has no bearing on health issues
There
are two types of fat people, those with an android fat distribution
(fat in the abdominal area) and those with a
gynoid fat distribution (fat in the hip/thigh/buttock region) (Roberts
24). The android distribution is commonly called the
apple shape, and the gynoid distribution is called the pear shape. Stereotypically,
overweight men have the apple shape,
and overweight women have the pear shape. There are higher morbidity
rates and overall mortality rates associated with
the apple shape. In addition to these two categories, there is a division
in the apple shape. The fat stored in the central
area of the body can be stored either intra-abdominally (i.e. viscerally)
or subcutaneously. Intra-abdominally stored fat is
stored behind the abdominal muscles; subcutaneously stored fat is stored
between the abdominal muscles and the skin. The
higher death rates are associated with the intra-abdominally stored
fat. (Emery, et al 343) Having more fat cells stored in
the abdominal area allows for an easier release of fat into the blood
stream. The release of fat begins for an apple-shaped
person about three to four hours after the last meal of the day; however,
in other individuals, the fat is not released until
several hours later. ("The Apple Figure and Insulin Sensitivity")
The best way to measure your fat distribution is to take a hip-to-waist
ratio measurement of your body. Divide the
number of inches around your waist by the circumference of your hips.
For women, if the number is .80 or higher, there
is a greater risk for certain health problems. For men, if the number
is .95 or higher, there is a greater risk. ("Fat FAQs:
How much do you really know?") There are some things you can do
to change your fat distribution from the apple shape:
quit smoking, become physically active, and moderate your alcohol intake.
There are other unmodifiable factors in fat
distribution: sex, age, ethnicity, genetic predisposition for fat distribution,
and the onset of menopause. (Emery et al
348-349) sources
MYTH:
Fat people die at a younger age
The risks
of being overweight actually decline with age. There was a study done
at the University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill that studied the mortality rates of over 324,000 white adults;
the subjects were followed for 12 years. Being
obese is a lesser risk for those aged 65 to 74, compared with those
aged 30 to 44. It was also found that adults who are
30% or more over their desired weight are at greater risk for some types
of diseases and disorders, but it is unclear why
obesity is automatically associated with all early deaths, no matter
the cause. Previous research on early death is limited.
("Weight and Longevity") sources
MYTH:
There are no benefits to being fat
Obesity
can no longer be classifyed as a disease because it actually has benefits
for the human body (Erdman Nothing To
Lose 16). Fat people have fewer overall fatalities from infectious diseases.
Fat people are less likely to experience
premature menopause, especially hot flashes. Fat women are less likely
to give premature birth. Fat people have fewer
instances of some types of cancer, including lung, stomach, and colon.
They also have fewer reported cases of chronic
bronchitis, tuberculosis, anemia, diabetes type I, osteoporosis, peptic
ulcers, scoliosis, and urinary tract infections, among
other diseases. Fat people are also less likely to commit suicide. (Erdman
Nothing To Lose 16 and "Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ) about Health and Fat People") sources
FAT MYTH:
Exercise is only beneficial when done at high intensity for at least
30 minutes every day
There are actually two types of exercise: cardiovascular and metabolic.
It is true that the most effective cardiovascular
exercise is done at high intensity, but only for 20 minutes at a time,
at least three times a week in order to strengthen the
heart muscle. Metabolic exercise is quite different; it helps with insulin
production and the body's recognition of insulin.
Metabolic exercise can prevent hypoglycemia, which is low blood sugar,
and diabetes, which is most often high blood
sugar. The Journal of the American Medical Association reccommends at
least 30 minutes of accumulated moderate
physical activity for adults most, if not every day of the week. There
are two key words in this reccommendation:
"accumulated" and "moderate." Accumulated exercise
means that the activity does not have to take place in the same 30
minutes; you could build in 5 minute increments, for example. Moderate
level exercise is exactly what metabolic exercise
is; it can actually include household chores, but the most popular metabolic
exercise is walking.
It is important for fat people to approach exercise in an informed way.
If a fat person is just beginning an exercise
program, it is important to set realistic goals and to have realistic
expectations. Often it takes time to build up the stamina
to exercise for long amounts of time; this can be true for thin people
too. A medical exam prior to beginning a formal
exercise program is also suggested for overweight individuals. Again,
walking is the best option for exercising; it is
unexpensive and easily regulated. It is also important to have some
basic knowledge about exercise. For example, fat
women who exercise right before a meal have better health results, compared
to fat women who exercise either without
eating before or eating after. (Roberts 24). sources
FAT MYTH:
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most accurate way to measure overweight-ness
and obesity
First,
it is important to understand what the BMI is. To find out what your
BMI number is divide your weight in
kilograms by the square of your height in metres. Note that one kilogram
equals 2.2 pounds, and one inch equals 2.54
centimeters. The results of this equation can be
broken down in the following way:
less than 18.5 = thin
18.5-24.9 = healthy weight
25.0-29.9 = moderately overweight
30.0-39.9 = obese (i.e. severely overweight)
more than or equal to 40.0 = morbidly obese
(Cameron-Smith & Collier 1)
There are many other factors to consider when determining mass, factors
such as bone density, muscle density, and
percentage of body fat. Measuring percentages of body fat is probably
the most accurate way to determine health. ("Fat
FAQs: How much do you really know?") A healthy percent of body
fat for a man can range from 10-15%, and a woman
can be healthy with a body fat percentage of 20-25% (Roberts 24). Like
it was discussed earlier, fat distribution is
significant when thinking about fat and health. There are several ways,
some not as accurate as others, to measure fat
distribution. There are three main ways: using a skinfold caliper, using
circumference measurement tapes, and using
computed tomography (CT scans). The skinfold tests are quick and accessible,
but they only measure subcutaneous fat, the
less risky kind. The measurement tapes are typically used to determine
hip-to-waist ratios, but they only crudely measure
intra-abdominal fat. And, if you happen to lose intra-abdominal fat,
your loss would not register in a hip-to-waist ratio
test. The CT scans, in addition to being expensive and inaccessible,
expose the patient to radiation. It is the most direct
technique to measure fat distribution, however. (Emery et al 346-7)
One last thing to consider when thinking about the BMI: Michael Jordan,
star professional basketball player, would be
considered overweight by BMI standards. He is 6'6" and weighs 216#;
his BMI would be 25 (i.e. overweight). ("Fat
FAQs: How much do you really know?") I think it would be safe to
say that Michael Jordan is healthy in reality. sources
MYTH:
All fat people are going to die from a heart attack
In the United States, while there are more overweight and obese individuals,
deaths from cardiovascular disease are
actually less common (Erdman Nothing To Lose 15). Being fat does not
promote bad heart health; there is a particular
lifestyle that can lead to unhealthy hearts. There is a slogan that
has been catching on lately, Fit Can Be Fat. The
American Heart Association (AHA) publishes guidelines for avoiding this
unhealthy lifestyle. It is important to eat with a
good nutritional sense and to eat a variety of foods. Eating nutritionally
sound includes eating less fat, cholesterol, and
sodium, and eating more complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber. Only
30% or less of any single day's calories should
come from fat, and only 8-10% should come from saturated fatty acids.
You should consume less than 300 mg/d of
cholesterol in a given day and less than 2.4 g/d of sodium. In addition,
not smoking, consuming alcohol in moderation,
and participating in physical activity also lowers the risk of heart
disease. ("American Heart Association") Fat people can
adhere to all of these guidelines with the same ease as thin people.
sources
Use this link to take a risk test for heart disease... test
MYTH:
All fat people have high blood pressure
Obesity does not make a person's blood pressure higher. Summed up, if
you're gonna get high blood pressure, you're
gonna get it whether you're fat or not. In fact, when comparing a fat
person to a thin person when both of them already
have high blood pressure, the thin person is more likely to have a stroke
or heart attack. It is also important to know that
a higher blood pressure reading will register if the cuff you are wearing
is too small for your arm. You can ask your
doctor for a blood pressure cuff that is larger than the conventional
size. ("Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about
Health and Fat People") sources
FAT MYTH
All fat people are going to eventually develop diabetes
Diabetes
is a disease which afflicts 15.7 million people in the United States;
that equals 5.9% of the population. Each day
2,200 people are diagnosed with diabetes. There is no denying that diabetes
is a serious disease, but there are groups of
people who are actually more likely to contract it compared to the lump
sum of all fat people. African-Americans are 1.7
times more likely to have diabetes compared to non-Hispanic whites.
Hispanics and Native Americans are also more likely
than non-Hispanic whites to have diabetes. The elderly are also at a
greater risk. Half of all the cases of diabetes occur in
people over the age of 55.
Diabetes is a disease that affects the way that the body produces and
recognizes insulin, which is a hormone that helps to
convert sugar, starches, and other foods into energy. The definitive
cause of diabetes is unknown. There are two types of
diabetes, type I and type II. People who have diabetes type I do not
produce any insulin at all, and they need to have daily
injections of insulin in order to survive. Type I accounts for only
5-10% of all cases. People who have diabetes type II
have a metabolic disorder; either their bodies do not produce enough
insulin or it does not use the insulin it produces
correctly. (American Diabetes Association) An unhealthy lifestyle can
contribute to a higher risk for developing diabetes
type II, but being fat is not necessarily a part of that lifestyle.
Remember, fat can be fit.
FAT MYTH:
No one finds fat people attractive or desirable
Although
today's society may give us the message that fat is ugly, there is an
entire subculture that prefers and admires
fat people. FAs, or Fat Admirers, as they are called, are people who
only find fat people attractive. Most of these FAs
will only have a fat partner and mate. The internet has become a haven
for FAs to find not just potential dates, but also a
comraderie with fellow FAs. ("Fat Admirer's Haven") Most FAs
liken accepting themselves as a person who is attracted
to larger people to someone who "comes out of the closet"
as gay or lesbian (Goodman 84). FAs have been a source of
controversy in the fat community for years. While some see them as people
who simply have a preference for a heavy
mate, others see them as nothing more than fetishists who get off sexually
by large men or women and care little for the
person inside. ("Fat Admirer's Haven") Accepting the admiration
of an FA is an entirely personal choice, but knowing
the option exists of having a partner enjoy your body, whatever its
size, can be self-esteem boosting. sources
see FA links here
FAT MYTH:
Fat people hardly ever have normal sex lives
Even though the subculture of the FA might seem a little "deviant,"
(whatever that means), at a first glance, it is only one
aspect of the sex lives of fat people throughout the world. Unfortunately,
many different stereotypes exist for fat women
when it comes to them being involved in sexual relationships. Some believe
that fat women substitute food for sex because
they cannot attract the "real thing" even though they want
to. Others believe that fat women substitute food for sex
because they are afraid of sex and have no desire for it. Still others
believe that fat women use their supposedly
unattractive bodies as a way to avoid sex in order to punish their partners.
How can all of the stereotypes be true? They
all contradict each other. Does a fat women want or not want sex? (Goodman
114) However, there have been many
representations of fat women as normal, sexual beings, not unlike the
art on our gallery page. Think of the full-figured
women painted by Ruben and Renoir. There is nothing about fat women
that makes them less likely to enjoy sex. "A fat
woman has the same capacity for sexual participation as a thin woman"
(Goodman 117)
for more information visit the website created for a final project in "Feminism, Science and Technology," a Special Topics class offered through the University of Pittsburgh's Women Studies Program Click Here