fitness and fatness

[Guest guest]

In message <1093169311.601.15654.m12 >,

writes

 

> Sat, 21 Aug 2004 22:48:35 -0000

> " darkfloweruk " <poly.bi

 

>Yes, there

>are health problems associated with being fat, but there are plenty

>of slim unhealthy people out there too.

>

> " Nikki Qureshi " <nicolaqureshi

>Re: Cartoon strip in Vegan Views

>

>You know, the other day I heard about some research which suggested that

>being slightly underweight was worse for your health than being slightly

>overweight. I don't know any more details, I heard it from a colleague at

>work.

 

Yes, and the article in the latest issue of The Vegan emphasises this

point. The chart on page 14 shows very clearly the dangers of slipping

below the UN's recommended range of body mass index 18.5 to 25. Obesity

is defined as body mass index 30 and above. [btw, there is a printer's

error on page 15: the headings of the first two columns in the fibre and

energy chart should be reversed]

 

Body mass index is calculated by dividing one's weight in kilograms

twice by one's height in metres so a person 1.7 metres [5 foot 7 inches]

tall weighing 63 kilos [10 stone or 140 pounds] would have a body mass

index of 22, which is pretty much ideal [the UN recommended range for

1.7 metres is 53 to 72 kilos]. If their weight slipped just four kilos

below the minimum, to 49 kilos or BMI 17, the risk would be as serious

as if it rose 25 kilos above the maximum to 95 kilos or BMI 33

 

To give an example in Imperial measures, the ideal weight for someone

5 foot 2 inches tall would be about eight and a half stone [the UN

recommended range is 7 stone 3 minimum to 9 stone 10 maximum] with a

drop to 6 stone 8 being as dangerous as a rise to 13 stone.

 

Plant Based Nutrition and Health, published by the Vegan Society at

£7.95 [see www.vegansociety.com/shop], gives full details of this and

many other health issues, with numerous charts based on studies of

thousands of healthy subjects [i.e. neither their thinness nor their

fatness was related to any medical condition]. The article in The Vegan

magazine concentrates on how to achieve and maintain a healthy weight,

whether this means gaining or losing a few or many pounds.

 

Another factor to be considered is where fat is stored. If it is stored

around the abdomen [the apple shape] it is more dangerous than if it is

stored around the hips and thighs in the typical pear shape. There is

also some evidence that black women are less at risk than white women

from the same amount of excess weight. In other words, all sorts of

factors play a part, including build, heredity, racial type, etc etc

 

In any event, poking fun at anyone because of their size is as

objectionable as mocking their age, race, gender, eye colour or whatever

and I admire your courage in writing to Vegan Views as you have. In

mitigation, I should point out that VV is a newsletter published more or

less singlehanded for the past 25 years by a very nice old man called

Harry who must by now be in his early eighties and who I'm sure would be

the last to want to hurt or offend anyone.

 

All good wishes,

 

Vanessa

 

PS. All profits from Plant Based Nutrition and Health go to the Vegan

Society and none to the author or editor.