The ‘golden standard’ for determining the weight appropriateness of an individual is the BMI (Body Mass Index) chart. It was invented in the 1830’s in order for doctors to show graphically the proportions of their patients who were uneducated. It was never intended to be used as a diagnostic tool, but an explanatory one. It cannot take into account body frame, musculature, nor differentiate the weight added by fat and the weight added by water, cartilage, bone growth, etc. It has not changed except for the accepted BMI numbers for ‘healthy’ individuals. In 1985, a person was considered ‘healthy’ if they were beneath 28 BMI, in 1988 the NIH (National Institute for Health) decided that it should be lowered to 25.
Even though “healthy” is anything up to 25, the desired BMI for women seem to be much much lower. In fact, some of the most desirable women in the US are in the BMI category for “underweight to anorexic”. Victoria Beckham for instance has a BMI of 15.8, only .9 points away from the category of ‘emaciated’, yet she’s one of the most desirable women. It’s shameful that the media has created an unfair desire for individuals whom, in any other society would be given help for an eating disorder.
Sources I'm using:
The Obesity Myth, Paul Campos
Fat Shame, Amy Erdman Farrell
The Shapely Prose (blog), Kate Harding
The unfat blog,
The Obesity Myth, Paul Campos
Fat Shame, Amy Erdman Farrell
The Shapely Prose (blog), Kate Harding
The unfat blog,