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How Fat is Fat?So you think you’re fat, but are you as fat as you think? Well it depends who you ask. To the dedicated admirer of today’s skeletal celebrities with their fashionable bone jangling frames anything above a size 0 is positively obese. To anyone of around 300lb, having to listen to a person who’s a curvy size 14 complaining about their constant struggles to get into a size 12 pair of jeans can be more than a little irritating. Let’s face it, everyone’s idea of average is different and one person’s perception of fat may not be the same as someone elses. Many people spend their lives striving for a firmer bum, thinner thighs and tiny waist. We deprive ourselves of the very things we enjoy the most. Bypassing the bakery section in the supermarket with those glass display fridges stuffed with mouthwatering cream doughnuts and strawberry cheesecakes or foregoing that favourite bar of chocolate we so richly deserve after a hard day’s work. But why do we do it? Are we doing it for the right reasons and do we really need to do it at all? Let’s consider the evidence. Obesity is a problem, there’s no denying the fact. In the US around 127 million adults are thought to be overweight with 60 million of those classed as obese. In the UK obesity rates are also on the rise. Numbers have doubled since the 1980s. So clearly fat is a problem, but what of those people who are on the borderline. The latest guidelines are to work out our Body Mass Index or BMI. This is a height-weight system which calculates weight ranges from normal to overweight to obese. However some of these calculators class a BMI of 25 and over as being overweight. So as an example, a 4′10″, 50 year old woman weighing 8st 5lbs (117lbs) would have a BMI of 25 therefore being classed as overweight. This, despite the fact, that the woman (a real person incidentally) wears UK size 10/12 clothes and attends 5 half hour aerobic sessions a week. Hardly a major cause for concern. So back to our initial question, ‘how fat is fat?’ It’s probably fair to say that if you can’t reach your shoelaces because your belly’s in the way, that would be a good indicator that you need to cut back. Also if the slightest exertion leaves you breathless or your overall quality of life is reduced or restricted because of your weight you should consult your doctor for sensible dietary advice. However for everyone else surely it would make more sense to place the emphasis on a healthier lifestyle rather than the size of clothes you wear. Cut down on the 3 s’s – saturated fats, sugar and salt. Let the bulk of your food be made up of fresh fruit and vegetables but allow yourself that inviting cream doughnut if you really want it. Food is meant to be enjoyed, it’s all a matter of balance and moderation. So what if you’re a size bigger than your friend. As long as you can climb a flight of stairs when the lift’s broken or run after your child when he strays too close to the road without collapsing in a breathless heap then that’s ok. In other words strive to be healthy and fit even if you are considered a ‘plus size’. If you would like to reprint this article you may do so provided the text remains unchanged and you include the “Author Bio” statement below: About the Author Elizabeth Hartley is the author and creator of The Flat Stomach Diet. This diet plan is the result of many years of research after consultation with doctors and professional nutritionists in an effort to discover the causes of painful abdominal cramps and bloating. The findings are based on personal experience after undergoing numerous medical tests and procedures and failing to find any other alternative long term solution. Details of The Flat Stomach Diet can be found at “http://www.flatstomachplan.com” Men in the fat closet !
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