Ideal Weight
Losing Body Fat
tendencies and this type of obsession is not healthy for kids or adults. So exactly how do you arrive at an ideal weight figure that matches reality?
One dictionary definition of the word ideal reads as follows: “a conception of something in its most excellent form” If we are to arrive at a definition of ideal weight, it only follows that we need to address whose conception this is and what defines the most excellent form. Some group of supposedly qualified people have come up with a formula that considers both the conception and what is most excellent.
For example, take the 'blood type' diets. There are doctors who insist that you should eat only foods that are compatible with your blood type. The purported science involves something about how your blood type determines your body's reaction to food. Not being a medical doctor, I can't prove or disprove this theory, but it sounds like there's a lot of hooey. Yet, this theory has quite a large following among those desiring to lose weight and cure a variety of diseases. The point is, even if a select group of experts says something is true, it doesn't necessarily make it so.
When the body fat index charts came out some years back, many people started consulting their doctors and the many websites that compared your height and weight in a "one size fits all" modality. Height and weight were the only criterion considered. Therefore, a person who's 5 foot 6 and weighs 135 pounds might be classified as overweight according to these charts. Perhaps this individual has a large bone structure, or is an athlete and has more muscle mass than average. Muscle weighs more than fat does. I remember hearing that a certain very fit NBA star would be considered obese under this particular formula. The person in question was quite obviously a tall, muscular and lean guy. This case makes me suspicious of the entire premise.
When you consider that every one of us is different, it's difficult to make a case for such a simplistic model of an ideal weight. Instead of imposing paranoia on everybody, the medical community should give their individual patients guidance on nutrition, the importance of exercise, and a personal evaluation on that patient's approximate ideal weight. If you want to make this evaluation yourself, study up on good nutrition, exercise regularly, and take an objective look in the mirror. While your best friend may be the same height as you but weigh ten or fifteen pounds less, your ideal weight may still be right in hand. If you feel good and energetic, and eat right, you may just be at your ideal weight already.
In the U.S., so many people obsess over their weight. True, obesity rates are rising quickly, but food addictions can work both ways. People with food addictions may eat way too much or far too little. Perhaps the issue of weight has been pushed way too far. Kids in grade school are developing anorexic, bulimic and overeating
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