patrick.net

The biggest problem with BMI is, though simple, it doesn't work for a certain part of the population. However, it's touted as the gold standard. Plenty of athletes who no one would describe as fat have found that, according to BMI, they are overweight. So, who cares, right? They know they aren't fat. Their doctor knows they aren't fat. The problem is that the actuarial tables think their fat. Insurance companies do rely on the BMI number when calculating risk for things like life insurance premiums. They treat the BMI as if it were 100% accurate.

I, too, am not well represented by the BMI calculation. Though I'm not short, my bones are very small (narrow). According to my BMI, I'm underweight. However, all my bones are covered. I'm far from a skeleton in clothes. If I gained ten pounds to satisfy the BMI measurement, I think I'd look a little paunchy.

turtledove says

The problem is that the actuarial tables think their fat. Insurance companies do rely on the BMI number when calculating risk for things like life insurance premiums. They treat the BMI as if it were 100% accurate.

Insurance rates are based in part on BMI. Auto insurance rates are based in part on age, sex, and car choice. Not one of these indicators is perfect. They are each just one indicator out of many that are used to come up with a statistical estimation of risk.

Smoking is not a perfect risk indicator of a heart attack. Neither is cholesterol. Neither is blood pressure. Neither is family history. Actuarial models are based on a bunch of easily measured indicators. None of the models assume that any indicator is 100% accurate. It any indicator were 100% accurate then the other indicators would not be included in the model.

How can we ever have health reform when there is no shortage of people who believes we should be billed by how ever they see fit. Life is what happen you you live, and ailments comes with the sandwich. Our healthcare industry is direct conflict with the needs of the population and their unabated ability to maximize profits based on statistical tea leaves.

YesYNot says

Insurance rates are based in part on BMI. Auto insurance rates are based in part on age, sex, and car choice. Not one of these indicators is perfect. They are each just one indicator out of many that are used to come up with a statistical estimation of risk.

Smoking is not a perfect risk indicator of a heart attack. Neither is cholesterol. Neither is blood pressure. Neither is family history. Actuarial models are based on a bunch of easily measured indicators. None of the models assume that any indicator is 100% accurate. It any indicator were 100% accurate then the other indicators would not be included in the model.

at least her tits could fit in a size 4 dress.

^^statistics.... the new tea leaves.

rolleyes.

CaptainShuddup says

at least her tits could fit in a size 4 dress.

Her entire dress is probably a size four. I swear, it's a conspiracy in the garment industry. It started about 60 years ago. Back in the 40s and 50s, a small dress size was a 10. The extra small dress size was an 8.

Over the years, as Americans have gotten fatter, the dress size numbers (as they correspond to measurements) have gone down. So, what used to be a size 8 is now a size 4 or 2. My measurements haven't really changed much over the years. When I was a teenager, I wore a size 6. Now, I wear a zero or a 2. My mom used to wear a size 10. Now, she wears a size 6. It's a plot to convince women that they are smaller than they are. The UK still uses the old sizing. When I lived over there a couple of years ago, I was back in a size 6.

turtledove says

CaptainShuddup says

at least her tits could fit in a size 4 dress.

Her entire dress is probably a size four. I swear, it's a conspiracy in the garment industry. It started about 60 years ago. Back in the 40s and 50s, a small dress size was a 10. The extra small dress size was an 8.

Over the years, as Americans have gotten fatter, the dress size numbers (as they correspond to measurements) have gone down. So, what used to be a size 8 is now a size 4 or 2. My measurements haven't really changed much over the years. When I was a teenager, I wore a size 6. Now, I wear a zero or a 2. My mom used to wear a size 10. Now, she wears a size 6. It's a plot to convince women that they are smaller than they are. The UK still uses the old sizing. When I lived over there a couple of years ago, I was back in a size 6.

The newer generations won't notice the difference, and they can't keep going lower for ever.
If you are petite and have always been slim, you will never get fat no matter what you eat (almost)
Never realized there was such a thing as 0 size. My wife is a size 2, so you are slightly skinnier than her. Unless that cat is a giant, it shows in your picture.

Call it Crazy says

turtledove says

So, what used to be a size 8 is now a size 4 or 2. My measurements haven't really changed much over the years. When I was a teenager, I wore a size 6. Now, I wear a zero or a 2. My mom used to wear a size 10. Now, she wears a size 6. It's a plot to convince women that they are smaller than they are.

Funny, my wife said the same thing about the sizes.... It's all a "game" to make women "think" their getting thinner (while actually getting fatter)...

Ha ha ha....so the next time a wife says "do i look fat in this dress" you can say "check the size"

Call it Crazy says

Strategist says

Ha ha ha....so the next time a wife says "do i look fat in this dress" you can say "check the size"

I thought it went like this. When she says "Does this dress make me look fat". The response was " No, your fat makes you look fat"...

Then I spent the night sleeping in the garage....

Wow. I feel sorry for you. Atleast I get the couch.

Ceffer says

ASSHOLES!

Strategist says

The newer generations won't notice the difference, and they can't keep going lower for ever.

Some stores have 00 (double zero) sizing (Abercrombie, for example). I have a pair of shorts from them and they are double zero. Absolutely no difference in fit than any other pair of shorts I own.

Strategist says

Unless that cat is a giant, it shows in your picture.

Maybe a little of both. She's a Maine Coon, which is a pretty large breed cat. A male Maine Coon can measure as much as 48 inches from his head to the tip of his tail and weigh over 20 pounds. Females are smaller, of course. Don't get me wrong, they're still cat sized... Just bigger than most.

You know, the whole Lululemon debacle can probably be attributed to sizing misunderstandings. You all might remember when Lulu was accused of selling see-through yoga pants? Lulu's sizing is more similar to the UK. However, many women in this country are mortified at the thought of having to buy a size larger than they are used to. So rather than size up, they buy their regular size... And the next time they do the downward dog, they give the person behind them a little surprise. Say no to crack!

turtledove says

Over the years, as Americans have gotten fatter, the dress size numbers (as they correspond to measurements) have gone down. So, what used to be a size 8 is now a size 4 or 2. My measurements haven't really changed much over the years. When I was a teenager, I wore a size 6. Now, I wear a zero or a 2. My mom used to wear a size 10. Now, she wears a size 6. It's a plot to convince women that they are smaller than they are. The UK still uses the old sizing. When I lived over there a couple of years ago, I was back in a size 6

I've got T-shirts that claim to be X-Large and fit me like condom.

I remember being at an amusement park waiting in the stands for a predatory bird show to begin. There was a family of four hunkering down not to far away, and they would all qualify as morbidly obese. The 2 kids were quite young, around the 3-7 range if memory serves. The kids were quickly devouring their ice cream cones before they melted; the nachos and cheez sauce would have to wait.

No point to this comment, just a memory it invoked.

CaptainShuddup says

turtledove says

Over the years, as Americans have gotten fatter, the dress size numbers (as they correspond to measurements) have gone down. So, what used to be a size 8 is now a size 4 or 2. My measurements haven't really changed much over the years. When I was a teenager, I wore a size 6. Now, I wear a zero or a 2. My mom used to wear a size 10. Now, she wears a size 6. It's a plot to convince women that they are smaller than they are. The UK still uses the old sizing. When I lived over there a couple of years ago, I was back in a size 6

I've got T-shirts that claim to be X-Large and fit me like condom.

20 years from now you could be buying XXXXXXXXX-Large, and it will still fit like a condom.

Here you go. I went to Amazon . com and punched in T shirt XXXXXXL
This is what I got.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=t%20shirt%20size%20XXXXXXL

I'm not fat. I'm short for my weight - I should be 6'7"...

turtledove says

Over the years, as Americans have gotten fatter, the dress size numbers (as they correspond to measurements) have gone down. So, what used to be a size 8 is now a size 4 or 2. My measurements haven't really changed much over the years. When I was a teenager, I wore a size 6. Now, I wear a zero or a 2. My mom used to wear a size 10. Now, she wears a size 6. It's a plot to convince women that they are smaller than they are. The UK still uses the old sizing. When I lived over there a couple of years ago, I was back in a size 6.

US sizing did drop about 4 from all the women's sizing for many brands -- you're correct that the UK still uses the old numbers for a lot of this.

Different brands and different types of fashion have different sizing. In a lot of cases, it's entirely possible the actual size of the clothing relative to size went up, even as the number went down (because Americans are getting fatter, so "medium" needs to be bigger), and there are reasons for this:

http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/the_myth_of_vanity_sizing/
(if you click around, that site has more than you'd ever want to know about the topic)

When you are cutting patterns, you have to figure out what "medium" is for your market, and order material based on that. This principle hasn't really changed, and if anything, it has gotten stronger as things have become more standardized. But the ideal medium size for different types of clothing and different brands can differ.

turtledove says

Over the years, as Americans have gotten fatter, the dress size numbers (as they correspond to measurements) have gone down. So, what used to be a size 8 is now a size 4 or 2. My measurements haven't really changed much over the years. When I was a teenager, I wore a size 6. Now, I wear a zero or a 2. My mom used to wear a size 10. Now, she wears a size 6. It's a plot to convince women that they are smaller than they are.

They learned from the government statistics adjustments to inflation.

Inflation? What inflation?

Howdy There says

There was a family of four hunkering down not to far away, and they would all qualify as morbidly obese. The 2 kids were quite young, around the 3-7 range if memory serves. The kids were quickly devouring their ice cream cones before they melted; the nachos and cheez sauce would have to wait.

Yeah, watching fat people eat is a lot like watching the proverbial train or car wreck. You just can't help but to watch.

sbh says

Americans, and nobody else, have the right to eat what they want and not suffer the ill effects, GODDAMMIT! The only reason these heifers are "fat" is because of Michelle Obama and her commie food regimen forced on a hard-working patriotic citizenry. Just ask CaptainUpchuck, he'll tell ya, the reason these people think they're fat is because they have drunk the Kool-aid. It's all a goddamn lie!

What food regimen?

That spineless obama dropped the message to eat less, and stuck with the move around more part, a couple weeks after it began. I'm sure a food industry lobbyist paid the white house a visit, and demanded a few bjs and cease and desist, in exchange for a small slice of obama soul. And the obamas, being the obamas, cratered without a fight, to the big money interests

Sadly, the usfedgov has trapped the citizenry in the negative feedback loop from hell. They intentionally instruct the people with bad information, and in turn, those that follow the government advice, become dumber from malnutrition. And the problem compounds itself.

How fucked would all the losers that run, and support, the usfedgov be, if the populace started to question,,,

"What is this that I'm putting in my body"
"What effect will it have"
"Why?"

But no. The idiots go to the doctor and are prescribed a pill. Lol

Kate Middleton's diet to staying slim.

http://www.stylelist.com/view/kate-middleton-s-new-diet-revealed-secret-to-her-slim-figure/

Mirrors are dead simpler.
YesYNot says

I don't think that BMI is antiquated at all. It's not a perfect indicator of health, but it is dead simple, and that is why it is used.

rufita11 says

Mirrors are dead simpler

In that case, no need to enter bmi measurements into a medical records or a study on the effects of being overweight. Just put mirrors in there. That'll work much better.