I started writing a post a few minutes ago about "Sugar vs. Running in America," about how foods high in sugar have negatively impacted both our waistlines and our running times. My interest was piqued this morning after reading a
CNN article from Dr. Sanjay Gupta's team about sugar and obesity being "Public Enemy #1." I fully agree with their premise and think that everyone could save a lot of health and various other bills if they significantly cut their sugar intake (in a few easy ways).
At the outset of the article, I set to define both "obesity" and "Body Mass Index," two terms that are thrown around quite a bit but that few really understand. BMI is a measured of your weight to your height, and is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square root of your height in meters. Obesity is defined as a BMI of greater than 30. Further, you are considered "overweight" if you have a BMI of 25 or greater. "Normal weight" would be a BMI between 18.5 and 25.
I am about 5-10 1/2, and on any given day (depending on where I am in the ol' training regimen), I weight between 165-175 lbs. I run fairly consistently and eat decently well--although, of course, I can always do much better. I've finished 7 marathons and dozens of other races and still look pretty good in a uniform.
Yet, according to the CDC, my BMI is between 24-25--the extreme upper end of "normal weight" and delving into the "overweight" category.
Really?
Let's take a look at what a guy my size would have to weight/look like: a 5-10 individual would have to weigh between 132-167 lbs to be considered "normal." Is that realistic? Healthy?
I know I'm not perfect. I just had some chocolate-covered orange-flavored gummies from Sunkist (hey, they were
dark-chocolate covered, that's good for you right?). But am I really overweight?
If you're a serious runner, you probably don't have this problem. But for the rest of us, the question becomes: "
What is healthy?" Has the culture of sugary, processed foods really driven me to a point where my usual weight--even as a regular runner--is considered overweight? Damn! Are we all really
that bad?
I think the CDC misleads more than a few people to pad their statistics here. I don't truly fall in this category, but there are tens of thousands of men nationwide who hit the gym pretty regularly for some weightlifting. Are "muscle pounds" considered unhealthy?
I'm not free from fault in this scenario. I realize that I have to continue to be committed to cutting sugar and processed foods from my diet (it's hard when they taste so good!) while keeping up a regular cardio/weight routine every day. But some of the blame here falls on the CDC. While the national obesity epidemic is real--and folks with BMIs over 30 should definitely take a long, hard look at their habits and think of making serious changes in their lifestyles--why psychologically mess with folks who are in the middle?
Then again, perhaps it is a bit of statistical motivation for folks like you and me. Curious about our own BMI, we hit Google to
search for a calculator and, terrified at the results, vow to work harder to stay healthy and get faster. There's no doubt that shedding a solid 10-20 pounds would lead to fewer lower-extremity injuries in my running routine, after all.
So to the CDC I say:
challenge accepted. I see your BMI calculation and raise you a commitment to a healthier lifestyle--and to help others to do the same.
(On a positive note, our state--NEW YORK!--has one of the lowest obesity rates in the country. That's sort of a morbid thing to cheer, but we're still proud.)
