While discussing the increasingly controversial topic of obesity, Radley Balko mentioned the Body Mass Index. According to the calculator I am overweight which is quite mind-boggling.
I weigh about 175, am 5′8″ and have about 10% body fat (as measured last week). For the past 6 months I have worked out every day for an hour in the gym pumping weights, playing basketball and partaking in a number of other physically demanding activities (being a college student we have a bit of spare time and all). Additionally I eat extremely healthy, no saturated fats (i.e. French fries), no soda (diet or otherwise), no candy bars — basically protein shakes and Subway sandwiches (I actually consume about 3500 calories a day in order to gain in sort of weight at all, as my metabolism is out of this world).
According to the calculator, aside from the water boy, every player on a college or professional football team would be considered obese (Emmitt Smith for instance was 5′10″ and weighed 210 lbs., Barry Sanders and other running backs were about the same size).
Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, is according to the BMI, clinically obese (he is 6′5″ and 255 lbs.). Even if you think that the World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly WWF) is lame, cheesy and down right red-neckish, I do not think anyone would consider The Scorpion King himself to be remotely fat (or any body builder for that matter).
Mr. Balko ends his discussion by rhetorically asking,
[I]f you aren’t responsible for what you put into your mouth, chew and swallow, what’s left that you are you responsible for?
C’mon Radley, get with the program, self-responsibility is so ancien, impulsive hedonistic indulgences are en vogue.
Knucklehead.
Exhibit A: Chester McFatty Phat