# Are you fat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 9, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173 "2010-09-09T13:32:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/81 "2010-09-10T18:18:06Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > I envy people who can eat one meal a day and gain weight. I eat all day and I don’t gain an ounce. And even though I’m not getting fat, I’m probably depositing tons of gnarly shit straight into my aorta. I must have a tapeworm or something. I’m going to call him Tapey. I’m guessing you’re not over 40 yet. My husband was underweight for most of his life, then when he hit 35, I think it was, he went from eating everything, all the time, and not gaining an ounce to getting a bit of a potbelly overnight. He’s dropped most of the extra weight by using the LoseIt app on his iTouch, but he’ll never eat like a teenager again. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/82 "2010-09-10T18:27:55Z")
Ain’t that the truth. I’m not even 35 yet, but I remember going to Carl’s Jr, and supersizing my fries and the whole nine yards when I was a teenager, and _still_ being 20 lbs lighter than I am now, even though now I eat real food and go to the gym! Yes, I’d rather be the way I am now (fitter, healthier) than the way I was then, and 20 lbs lighter, but still. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/83 "2010-09-10T19:07:21Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I’m guessing you’re not over 40 yet. My husband was underweight for most of his life, then when he hit 35, I think it was, he went from eating everything, all the time, and not gaining an ounce to getting a bit of a potbelly overnight. He’s dropped most of the extra weight by using the LoseIt app on his iTouch, but he’ll never eat like a teenager again. That’s correct, I’m 29. So okay, I’ll give it until 35 and then I’ll see the gastroenterologist. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/84 "2010-09-10T19:12:43Z")
Oh no! Won’t you think of Tapey? ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/85 "2010-09-10T19:18:24Z")
He’s not even paying rent! ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/86 "2010-09-10T23:57:07Z")
I’m obese by BMI (about 32, last I checked), but I sure don’t look obese. Overweight for sure, but not obese. I figured out that Wilt Chamberlain, at his playing weight of 275 and height of 7"1’ had a BMI of 37. Getting to the morbid edge. As a matter of fact, BMI scales wrong. Weight ought to go up as the cube of a linear dimension. Someone 5" tall with a BMI of 25 gets a BMI of 30 when they scale up to 6". ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/87 "2010-09-11T02:53:35Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > > > I’m guessing you’re not over 40 yet. My husband was underweight for most of his life, then when he hit 35, I think it was, he went from eating everything, all the time, and not gaining an ounce to getting a bit of a potbelly overnight. He’s dropped most of the extra weight by using the LoseIt app on his iTouch, but he’ll never eat like a teenager again. > > That’s correct, I’m 29. So okay, I’ll give it until 35 and then I’ll see the gastroenterologist. That seems fair. 🙂 (Say hi to Tapey for me!) ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/88 "2010-09-11T06:38:12Z")
I am 5’2" and weight over 200. According to the last doctor I saw and my Wii, I’m morbidly obese. I can’t argue with the numbers. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/89 "2010-09-11T08:24:13Z")
Nope. BMI 22. I take the BMI as being as it is - more reliable than just weight measurements, but it’s just a measurement, not something to lose sleep over. I’m neither hugely muscular nor the opposite, so it’s probably accurate. I would like to lose a little weight because this is not how I’m used to being, but that’s it. I couldn’t tell if someone’s fat just by looking at them because I tend to look at faces - we all do, and would even if we were told to take the rest of the body into account. Some people gain more weight on their faces than others, and that makes them look fat. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/90 "2010-09-11T13:02:50Z")
BMI is a load of crap. It’s marginally more useful than a straight scale reading and height measurement, but that’s like saying that measuring a house plan with a knotted piece of string is better than using your thumb. BMI is just a rough guess about whether you’re going to die of a heart-related condition, and it’s based on figures from over a hundred years ago. Electrical resistance scales don’t work well. I know since mine has never read lower than 20% body fat, and I’ve lost 14 kg of fat and put on a lot of muscle I didn’t have when I first started using the stupid thing. Fat caliper measurements, along with detailed body measurements (wrist, waist, chest, bicep, thigh, neck) and accurate height and weight are probably the most accurate you can reasonably expect without an underwater weighing. Body fat and percentage of lean mass is the only thing that really matters when it comes to body measurements. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/91 "2010-09-11T15:04:08Z")
I’m roughly 6’2’’/1m90ish and on a good, hearty day I might weigh ~130 pounds, if that (been ages since I last saw a scale though). I basically look like a cancer patient just out of prison camp. ---
**Author:** ![Time\_Like\_Tears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@Time\_Like\_Tears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Like_Tears)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/92 "2010-09-12T12:00:11Z")
I am 5’7" and I fluctuate between 210-220 throughout the day. I think that puts me into the obese category as far as BMI goes, but I am another of those who may be an exception. I am in good shape as far as my cholesterol and blood pressure go, no early signs of diabetes (it’s almost guaranteed in my family) at age 29. I have a good muscular structure that accounts for quite a bit of my bulk and weight. I also have several hormonal issues going that not only cause me to pack fat around my middle but may have caused my early (22) onset osteoarthritis. Who knows, really - but I am almost forced to be sedentary because of it now. I try very hard to control food portions and eat healthy whole foods, because if I was a snacker or less conscious of nutrition it would be entirely out of control. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/93 "2010-09-12T12:18:10Z")
I was morbidly obese, now I am merely (heh) obese. Well on my way to a somewhat healthy weight. ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/94 "2010-09-12T22:32:39Z")
I could stand to lose about 15-20 lbs. Gotta watch my portions. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/95 "2010-09-12T22:49:27Z")
I checked my BMI. It is obvious that i am too short. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/96 "2010-09-12T22:58:06Z")
I’m 5’ 10" (178 cm), and I’m about 15 pounds above my ideal weight (155 to 160 pounds, 70 to 72 kg). I eat about the same amount of calories that I burn; I’ve got to eat less to lose weight. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/97 "2010-09-12T23:15:04Z")
I’m towards the heavy side of normal according to my BMI, but BMI is not a perfect tool (it’s really intended to give an easy way to look at a population as a whole, not at individuals). I’m A) quite active and B) very short, so it’s probably pretty skewed. That said, I know I could stand to lose ten pounds or so. I know this because I had a nice workout this morning, including a good run, and then I ate half a pint of Ben & Jerry’s for breakfast. So…I might be a healthy weight, but there are times when I perhaps don’t live the healthiest lifestyle. (My excuse is that I had pretty much no food in the house this morning, in part because my bread turned fuzzy and my milk went sour overnight. And I did at least take a multivitamin with it, so it’s not _that_ horrible.) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/98 "2010-09-13T00:07:35Z")
I’m not fat. I’m fluffy. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/99 "2010-09-13T01:42:09Z")
I’m obese, I’ll admit it. But I’m working on losing weight. I want to get healthy and have kids. Because of my weight, I’m having some fertility issues. I’m trying to lose weight to help correct my PCOS. Also, having a lower beginning weight will help reduce health issues for both me and my child. It’s a hard road, but I’m working on it. ---
**Author:** ![BottledBlondJeanie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/0ea827/32.png) [@BottledBlondJeanie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BottledBlondJeanie)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173/100 "2010-09-14T01:53:25Z")
No, not at all. Why is it the folks on the high side of BMI always claim it’s BS, but not the contrary. After this generality, I am a fat skinny person. I’m at the low end of the BMI, eat crap, don’t get enough exercise, and have no excuse for not having a 6 pack minus my 2 C-sections. Yes, genetics rock, but accounts of a limited diet plus exercise, but having 20 or so admitted pounds to lose boggles my mind. That said, if someone brags an assload about his or her weight and has had weight loss surgery admit it, it’s great, but don’t give me all the crap about your willpower. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-fat/553173.md?page=6)