# So... I am suddenly a lard-butt now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 21, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799 "2009-02-21T00:51:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/41 "2009-02-21T15:52:11Z")
> [@accidentalyuppie](#): > > So I think the definition of overweight keeps sliding back and causing more of us get scolded for being “overweight”. And what explanation would you have for this phenomena? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/42 "2009-02-21T15:58:52Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Muscle vs. fat composition is undoubtedly an important factor that doesn’t get considered with a simple height/weight BMI calculation. But I am somewhat more skeptical of the “everyone’s figure and/or frame is different” statement that I hear thrown around a lot. Is there evidence that, besides the difference between men and women, people’s “frames” vary significantly enough to impact their weight with all other factors (height, body fat %, and muscle mass) being equal? That is, is there truth behind the old “I’m not fat, I’m just big boned!” line or is it a heap of BS? I’ve always been suspicious of the excuse-making too, but… when I had my body fat tested at the gym, I (gently love-handled, not entirely doughy but hardly “ripped”) was surprised to measure comfortably within the “fitness” range. My BMI stats, however, are similar (eerily) to the OP’s, and I’d grudgingly accepted the “borderline overweight” classification as probably about right. Entirely possible the fat test was inaccurate, I guess, otherwise I’d need an “athlete” fat percentage just to rate a “normal” weight on the BMI scale. But for now, I’ll enjoy the delusion that I’m in decent shape. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/43 "2009-02-21T16:05:36Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Jen, you’re missing the point that people with an abundance of lean muscle mass aren’t getting their BMI taken to see if they need to lose weight. The muscle vs. fat thing is a red herring. I’m quite sure we’re having a misunderstanding here, but I’m not sure exactly where. You don’t have your BMI ‘taken.’ Anyone, fat, skinny, athletic, whatever, can go to one of a [gazillion](http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/) [calculator](http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/bmi.html) [sites](http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm) on the web, plug in height, weight; boom, you’ve got your BMI. You don’t have to be planning to lose weight to be curious about this number. There are a number of studies that include[healthy, young, athletic people](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0887/is_5_24/ai_n13784735) that show that a BMI of over 25 does not necessarily correlate with being too fat. The inaccuracy of BMI measurement as a tool to determine “fatness” is not negated by people who want to point at these studies and say “See! BMI is inaccurate! Therefore I’m not fat!” They may very well be morbidly obese and in denial, but that doesn’t make them wrong when they say it’s inaccurate. That’s all I’m saying. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/44 "2009-02-21T16:10:55Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > You don’t have your BMI ‘taken.’ Anyone, fat, skinny, athletic, whatever, can go to one of a [gazillion](http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/) [calculator](http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/bmi.html) [sites](http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm) on the web, plug in height, weight; boom, you’ve got your BMI. You don’t have to be planning to lose weight to be curious about this number. I’m well aware of that, but the BMI has existed for ~150 years, and the www has been widely available for ~10 years. The former was not designed for the latter. It was designed as a guideline for doctors to tell if the average person is overweight. If you’re going on the web to calculate your BMI, then you can read, on the very same website - as I mentioned above - about its shortcomings and nuances. ---
**Author:** ![gravitycrash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@gravitycrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gravitycrash)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/45 "2009-02-21T16:22:59Z")
Enter Marine boot camp: 5’8" 155lbs. Exit Marine boot camp: 5’8" 176lbs. ( best shape of my life ) In eleven weeks I gained 21lbs. and according to the these weight charts I somehow was now a fat ass. There really isn’t enough rolleyes. Even today, 24 years later and 44lbs heavier, nobody here who saw me today would consider me obese, yeah I could stand to lose 20-25lbs. but even then I would be considered fat. I’m built like a fireplug, if I weighed what I was “supposed” to weigh I would look like a bobble head doll. ---
**Author:** ![HumanMonkeyGod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c67d28/32.png) [@HumanMonkeyGod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HumanMonkeyGod)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/46 "2009-02-21T17:34:14Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I like how in general the Dope is very “science, science, science.” If a scientist said it, we all should accept it. If a study proves it, it’s etched in stone. To criticize science is just to display your ignorance. > > Except, apparently, when the science calls us fat. Then the scientists are politically motivated, the tables are inaccurate, and the studies are flawed and the factors aren’t factored in. hehe, very well put. It’s kind of like all the people who don’t like their BMI reading in this thread who apparently aren’t fat but could stand to lose 20lbs. If you’re all so sure you’re not fat, go for a professional bodyfat % assessment. And then stand there and bleat about how the calipers weren’t calibrated for your bone size, someone pissed in the water-tank, your skin is clearly thicker than average, it’s allergy season blah blah blah whatever it takes to avoid conceding the truth. > [@gravity crash](#): > > nobody here who saw me today would consider me obese, yeah I could stand to lose 20-25lbs. but even then I would be considered fat. you, stop toying with the goalposts. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/47 "2009-02-21T17:55:39Z")
If you think you could lose ~25lbs but you’re not fat, go ask a butcher to cut 25lbs of meat and lay it on the counter in front of you. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/48 "2009-02-21T18:05:47Z")
I remember when I was in college and the health center did body fat testing on all the health students. The woman put the calipers to my belly and declared I could stand to lose about five pounds. My legs were lean, but I was developing an inner tube, she said. At first I was distressed, but then I became defensive. Fat? _Moi?_ No one in my whole life had ever called me fat (which she didn’t say, but that’s how I interpreted her comment). Compared to most of the females in my environment, I was downright skinny. Fast forward to today. I’m the same height as I was back then, but almost twenty pounds lighter. When I look at my college pictures, I see that I looked kind of bloated–like someone who eats pizza and McDonald’s every day but has a metabolism that can kinda-sorta handle it. I couldn’t see it back then because 1) I wasn’t real image-conscious and 2) like I said, it seemed like I was skinny compared to everyone else (and it didn’t help that everyone was always telling me how skinny I was). But now I can’t imagine letting myself get that heavy again. As far as body frames go, it does make some difference. But the BMI has pretty big wiggle room for “healthy weight”. Throughout my adulthood my weight has fluctuated by 20 lbs, and I’ve never been outside of the healthy BMI range. ---
**Author:** ![lilflower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@lilflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilflower)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/49 "2009-02-21T18:22:02Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > From what I’ve read, there isn’t much women can do to change their waist-hip ratio, because you’ll gain or lose from your waist and hips at approximately the same rate. Where you measure your hips would take into account a “pooch” of belly fat (as well as a bigger butt) which is what is supposed to be an indicator of higher risk of coronary issues in women (I don’t have a cite - sorry). From my own experience, though, losing my belly did change my waist-to-hip ratio. Again, from my experience, my belly gets smaller at a faster rate then my waist when I am trying to lose weight, but that could just be me. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/50 "2009-02-21T18:23:09Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > If you think you could lose ~25lbs but you’re not fat, go ask a butcher to cut 25lbs of meat and lay it on the counter in front of you. I don’t know what this is supposed to illustrate. A person can be 25 lbs over what they want to be and _still_ not be fat. It depends on their starting point and what “fat” would look like on their particular frame. I wore a size 8 in college. Only in impoverished places would this be “fat”. But I wear a size 6 now, and I’m almost twenty pounds lighter. So I’ve gone from “not fat, not skinny” to “skinny”. It’s possible the same could be said for **gravitycrash** if she lost 25lbs. The BMI has a big enough wiggle room so that a person can be 25 lbs over their personal ideal and still be healthy. IMHO, this is it’s biggest strength as a metric for healthy weight. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/51 "2009-02-21T18:33:01Z")
I never trust those goofy “…if you are this tall, you should weigh this much” charts. If I paid any attention to them I’d be as skinny as a rail and look like I had a case of hookworms. I’m 5’8 and 185. While I do have the typical 2-3 inch jellyroll most cats my age have (I’m 43), I don’t look or feel obese, or even overweight; I can see my schlong and touch my toes. Throughout my 20s and well into my 30s, I was something of a regular gym rat. I still look pretty pumped, if I do say so myself. Think ‘old silverback gorilla’ and you’ll have a good idea of what I look like. At the best shape of my life, my fightin’ trim when I was about 25-ish, I weighed in at 172 and had the body of an bronze Adonis. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/52 "2009-02-21T18:44:13Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I’m well aware of that, but the BMI has existed for ~150 years, and the www has been widely available for ~10 years. The former was not designed for the latter. It was designed as a guideline for doctors to tell if the average person is overweight. If you’re going on the web to calculate your BMI, then you can read, on the very same website - as I mentioned above - about its shortcomings and nuances. I’m still not sure what your objection is. The more pertinent part of my last post is the part you didn’t respond to. Do you think BMI is or isn’t an accurate indicator of body fat percentage? Studies are saying it’s not, and that’s pretty much all I’m saying too. Citing it alone to confirm or deny the state of your health risks is foolish. You can have a normal BMI and be unheathily fat. You can have an overweight BMI and be perfectly healthy. Whether **smiling bandit** or any SDMB member is or is not actually a lard-butt in denial is beside the point. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/53 "2009-02-21T18:46:19Z")
> [@lilflower](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Where you measure your hips would take into account a “pooch” of belly fat (as well as a bigger butt) > > which is what is supposed to be an indicator of higher risk of coronary issues in women (I don’t have a cite - sorry). From my own experience, though, losing my belly did change my waist-to-hip ratio. Again, from my experience, my belly gets smaller at a faster rate then my waist when I am trying to lose weight, but that could just be me. Is there an illustration for this? I can’t picture how anyone could measure their hips, butt and stomach all at the same time. > [@](#): > > The BMI has a big enough wiggle room so that a person can be 25 lbs over their personal ideal and still be healthy. IMHO, this is it’s biggest strength as a metric for healthy weight. Yea, for my height, the lowest and highest healthy weights are 34 lbs apart. ---
**Author:** ![lilflower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@lilflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilflower)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/54 "2009-02-21T19:05:02Z")
> [@Omega\_Glory](#): > > Is there an illustration for this? I can’t picture how anyone could measure their hips, butt and stomach all at the same time. > > Yea, for my height, the lowest and highest healthy weights are 34 lbs apart. I just did a quick search and found this ([http://www.healthyforms.com/helpful-tools/index.php](http://www.healthyforms.com/helpful-tools/index.php)): \*How to Calculate Waist Hip Ratio Waist Hip Ratio is calculated by dividing the measurement of your waist by the measurement of your hips. How to Get Your Waist and Hip Measurements Use a measuring tape to take your waist and hip measurement. If you do not have a measuring tape available, use a long piece of string instead and then measure the length of the string against a flat ruler. Stand in a relaxed position breathing normally when you take the measurement. Do not pull tightly on the measuring tape or string. Waist: Your waist measurement should be taken at the smaller section of your natural waist, usually located just above the belly button. \*\*Hips: Your hip measurement should be taken at the your hips on the widest part of your buttocks. \*\*\* And I don’t really mean stomach, I mean something more like a gut. I am a female and when I have a belly, it’s well below my belly button and usually gets caught in my hip measurement. Also, I don’t have any ass to speak of and trying to find the widest part of my buttocks is something I’ve been doing for years, so I might be measuring in the wrong place. This link has a picture: [http://www.landsend.com/customerservice/size\_charts/womenBottomsSizes.html](http://www.landsend.com/customerservice/size_charts/womenBottomsSizes.html) ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/55 "2009-02-21T19:28:41Z")
[http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FA4aPigxGqcuRaPg23TODQ?feat=directlink](http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/FA4aPigxGqcuRaPg23TODQ?feat=directlink) Guess my BMI. 24, borderline overweight ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/56 "2009-02-21T21:28:13Z")
> [@lilflower](#): > > I just did a quick search and found this ([http://www.healthyforms.com/helpful-tools/index.php](http://www.healthyforms.com/helpful-tools/index.php)): > > \*How to Calculate Waist Hip Ratio > Waist Hip Ratio is calculated by dividing the measurement of your waist by the measurement of your hips. > > How to Get Your Waist and Hip Measurements > Use a measuring tape to take your waist and hip measurement. If you do not have a measuring tape available, use a long piece of string instead and then measure the length of the string against a flat ruler. > > Stand in a relaxed position breathing normally when you take the measurement. Do not pull tightly on the measuring tape or string. > > Waist: Your waist measurement should be taken at the smaller section of your natural waist, usually located just above the belly button. > \*\*Hips: Your hip measurement should be taken at the your hips on the widest part of your buttocks. \*\*\* > > And I don’t really mean stomach, I mean something more like a gut. I am a female and when I have a belly, it’s well below my belly button and usually gets caught in my hip measurement. Also, I don’t have any ass to speak of and trying to find the widest part of my buttocks is something I’ve been doing for years, so I might be measuring in the wrong place. > > This link has a picture: [http://www.landsend.com/customerservice/size\_charts/womenBottomsSizes.html](http://www.landsend.com/customerservice/size_charts/womenBottomsSizes.html) Thanks. I see how that could work a bit more, if you gain your weight in an apple pattern. ---
**Author:** ![Discipline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Discipline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Discipline)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/57 "2009-02-21T21:55:27Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Guess my BMI. Guess what? That’s not as lovely as you think it is. You could still lose weight. Lets not forget that BMI measurements don’t stop at 25. It’s not like you maxed out the scale and are so planet-like in mass that it takes a bit of math and a room full of scientists to calculate. But you’re still not as thin as you could be, and are clearly carrying abdominal fat. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/58 "2009-02-21T22:05:50Z")
> [@Discipline](#): > > Guess what? > > That’s not as lovely as you think it is. You could still lose weight. > > Lets not forget that BMI measurements don’t stop at 25. It’s not like you maxed out the scale and are so planet-like in mass that it takes a bit of math and a room full of scientists to calculate. > > But you’re still not as thin as you could be, and are clearly carrying abdominal fat. You actually think he’s borderline fat? He has a tiny non-firmness on his belly, that’s all. Bloody Hell - do you think supermodels are ideal weight for women, too? ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/59 "2009-02-21T22:40:23Z")
I’m just on the good edge of underweight on the BMI chart, so this thread is kind of funny. 😛 Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799/60 "2009-02-21T23:03:45Z")
> [@Discipline](#): > > Guess what? > > That’s not as lovely as you think it is. You could still lose weight. > > Lets not forget that BMI measurements don’t stop at 25. It’s not like you maxed out the scale and are so planet-like in mass that it takes a bit of math and a room full of scientists to calculate. > > But you’re still not as thin as you could be, and are clearly carrying abdominal fat. I never said I think I look lovely with a shirt off. I actually don’t think that. I just don’t think I’m anywhere near overweight. According to the BMI scale I could drop 30 lbs and still be in the normal range. If I did that I’d have to lose all my body fat and atrophy some muscle. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-i-am-suddenly-a-lard-butt-now/486799.md?page=4)