Obesity And The ?Ideal Type?. ? Killsession Musings

Now that we have briefly discussed some of my presuppositions, and how they were affecting my outlook, let us now to turn to some of the societal pressures the obese may feel, and indeed define some terms for us. Melvin H. Williams, in his book entitled?Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport, 2009?defines body image for us:

The term body image refers to the mental image we have of our own physical appearance, and it can be influenced by a variety of factors, including how much we weigh or how that weight is distributed. Body weight appears to be a major concern for many Americans. ?(Williams, p. 364,?Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport, 2009)

Moreover he states that 40 percent of men and 55 percent of women are dissatisfied with their bodies, the primary cause of which seems to be the value placed on an ideal physical type by society. Williams continues that being ?overweight is viewed as a handicap to both personal and professional?fulfillment, and the term ?fatism? has been coined to reflect society?s prejudice toward the obese.??(Williams, p. 364,?Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport, 2009) In this system of values men appear to desire a masculine form, and women that of thinness; dissatisfaction with form manifests as feelings of being overweight, studies show two-thirds of American-adults are trying to lose weight or keep from gaining weight (and spending a lot of money to do so).

Determining the ?ideal? body type, at least from a clinical sense can be very tricky; what, after all, is it based on? Health? Appearance? Physical performance? Williams states, interestingly, and contra to societal prejudice, that there is in fact no specific ideal weight for a given individual, although he does mention there are specific guidelines one might like to follow (relative to health and physical performance).? There is a certain amount of subjectivity to the ideal type, we all have our own images in our head, of what we want to look like, but they seem to be, as Williams mentions mostly aimed at improving or enhancing appearance. The resultant effects of this include improved body image, self-esteem which Williams notes are important for psychological health. One of the most salient points for our investigation today is, whether these ideals that we make up for ourselves, are based on a healthy understanding of our own bodies, perceptions of such and are conducive to physical performance.

There have been several tools created to clinically find the ideal body type, such as that of the BMI (Body Mass Index) and body composition measurements (skinfolds, DXA, bio-electrical impedance etc). Firstly let us briefly look at BMI: this can be useful as a screening tool for health problems, with a low BMI, and a high one being indicative of possible contraidnication. To calculate your BMI you simply divide your bodyweight by your height squared ? for example my height is 1.85cm, my bodyweight is 92kgs (92 / [1.85²]) = a BMI of 26, a BMI range from 18.5-25 is considered normal. The problem with BMI of course is that it does not take into account body composition (percentage body fat and percentage muscle mass), which can be crucial in understanding an individuals likelihood for contraindication (many athletes for example would be considered obese by the BMI).

Secondly let us quickly look at body composition measurements, when working with composition body fat percentage is the primary measurement we use to determine obese and ideal body types. What exactly the healthiest body fat percentage is is a complex question as we need to consider many factors (appearance, performance, health). Although Williams suggests that you are the best judge of how you wish to look, he warns that a distorted body image can affect what you perceive to be a healthy and appealing body fat percentage for you, which can lead to serious health problems and impairment in physical performance. It is here that Williams defines obesity for us:

Although being underweight may impair health, most of the focus has been on excess bodyweight and fat, particularly the relationship between obesity and health. By medical definition, obesity is simply an accumulation of fat in the adipose tissue. Obesity is referred to as a disease or disorder and is the most common nutritional health problem in North America. The actual measurement and determination of clinical obesity is a controversial issue? Unfortunately our current level of knowledge does not provide us with the ability to predict precisely what the optimal weight or percent body fat should be for health in any given individual. However, some general guidelines have been developed by various professional and health organizations. (Williams, p. 370,?Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport, 2009)

As we have seen above BMI is one possible tool, but we also see from Williams here that even body fat percentage measurements are still difficult to administer absolutely across the board. Having said that though, if we look at some of the data provided, we might be able to at least come to some idea of what the safe body fat percentage levels are.

For health purposes, the body has need for the essential fat described previously. At a minimum essential fat approximates 3 percent for males and 12-15 percent for females. Several authorities have included additional levels of storage fat and suggested that minimal levels of total body fat for health range from 5-10 percent for males and 15-19 percent for females. The average percentages of body fat for U.S. males and females are, respectively, approximately 15-18 and 22-25 percent. (Williams, p. 371,?Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport, 2009)

Other medical authorities have set the value for obesity at 25 percent for males and 30 percent for females, while others still? have stated that 25 percent for men and 37 percent for women should be the standard for obesity. While, again, other authorities have noted that 31 percent for males and 42 percent for females should be the standard for obesity, Williams collects this data and creates a scale for which we might like to look at:

Rating ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Males????????????????????????????????????? Females

Athletic??????????????????? 6-10%????????????????????????????????????? 10-15%

Good????????????????????????? 11-14%???????????????????????????????????? 16-23%

Acceptable????????????? 15-20%??????????????????????????????????? 24-30%

Overweight????????????? 21-24%???????????????????????????????????? 31-36%

Obese???????????????????????? 25 or over?????????????????????????????? 37 or over?(Williams, p. 371,?Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport, 2009)

From this basic outline, and the above collection of data we can create a more precise description of where we might like to fall on this schema to both suit our ideal body type, and to also be considered healthy. For myself, I am personally aiming for the ?athletic category? but currently sit in the ?good? one.

This examination has been an attempt to show those of you on your weight loss/fat loss journey where the clinically healthy reference points are, and what flexibility there is in these measurements. Having stated them though, don?t be completely fixed on numbers, as we have seen, many organizations state different levels for obesity or underweight. Try to be healthy, both in your body image, and in your body type, this will determine more than just your physical state, but also, perhaps, your psychological one.

Reference

Williams, M. H. (2009).?Nutrition for Health, Fitness and Sport. New York, New York. McGraw-Hill. Pp. 364, 370, 371.

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