Woody Cavenaugh

I have a "Body Mass Index" of 42. Well, what do you know? 42 IS the answer! It is down from my starting number of 47 by the way. To find this on the government website Shape Up America. I had to look at their body mass indicator page. I found my height, and I followed the line over to find my weight. It wasn't there. Odd. Then I noticed that at the bottom of that page was a link that said, "High Range BMI Chart". I clicked. I'm not positive, but I think the red got a shade darker. I found my weight about half way across the page. Huh. So, on a whim I backtracked looking for my target personal ideal weight. The good news was I got to go back to the normal chart that has yellows and greens on it. Strangely, my personal target ideal weight was still firmly in the red.

On a whim, I continued to track back to find out what this chart would view as an ideal weight range. I am sure I was that weight once, but it was well before the 5th grade, and no I have no intention to ever be there again. (5th grade either for that matter.)

Of course, the BMI chart has a few fundimental flaws, and to the government's credit they list them.
* It can misclassify up to one out of four people.
* It does not take into account location of body fat.
* It cannot accurately classify elderly individuals who are frail and sedentary.
* It cannot accurately classify body builders.
* It does not distinguish between body fat and lean body mass.

So why does my western doctor treat this BMI chart like some sort of holy scripture? More and more I am beginning to think of her as the witch doctor. It explains why my blood pressure pills come in an oversized bottle so all of the warning stickers will fit.

Still, as far as educational websites go, I have to say that the content of Shape Up America is pretty good, though I won't be book marking it.

A site I like better is from of all places the USDA. IT is their My Pyramid Tracker site. (Sponsored by Sweet and Low) On it, I found not only informaiton, but tools. It isn't perfect though. There is a place where you can enter in your height, weight, and the food you ate in a 24 hour period and it analizes it for you, to let you know how you are doing. I tried this and when I hit analize this it brought up a two radio button questionair. "Do you intend to maintain your weight?" and "Do you intend to slowly lose weight?" I clicked on the lose weight one. I was sent to a page where in bright red capital letters it told me under no uncertain terms that I really shouldn't even get out of bed without a doctor's OK signed in triplicate and submitted for peer review. The message (and it wouldnt' let me go further) led me to believe that I shouldn't even watch fencing on TV let alone teach it. I had no option but to go back.

Quackery says I. Next the government will be saying that I should consider surgery. I suppose I diserve that, I've been saying they need a president-ectomy for nearly four years now.