Apparently the perfect BMI is 20.85
I feel like I may have blogged this before. At the time I learned this, I was significantly heavier than I am now, and I was stunned. Offended even, that this was considered worthy of the title "Okay girls, relax, 20.85 is now the perfect body!" Goddamnit, no! I had to work for that bmi, and after that I'm down to a bmi of 20 that number still strikes me as bullshit. 20.85? I'm know my boyfriend is attracted to women thinner than I am. I have no doubt. He's not atypical either. Maybe other men are better at hiding it, but girls, we know who we see men looking at.
There's another standard out there that's quite popular. It's 36-24-36 measurements.
Those measurements don't go with that bmi.
Actually, Sir Mix-a-Lot Probably said it best. "36-24-36? Ha ha, only if she's 5'3"
That's probably about how tall you'd have to be to have those measurements and that bmi.
Do any of us want..."back?"
No. No we do not.
I certainly wouldn't mind a 24 inch waist. Mine was 25.5 this morning, and my weight was 126 - which would be my thinnest, but I don't necessarily trust the scale.
The point I'm trying to get at is that it's unrealistic to set out standards on what society gives us to go by. That's what most people seem to think anorexics are going by. That society is giving us "unrealistic expectations" of beauty and that we're trying to live up to them, but in reality we're probably the only ones who aren't listening to those societal expectations.
Because they don't make sense.
So we do with our bodies what we think is beautiful, for whatever beautiful reasons they might be. Like a ... "fuck you" to those very same societal expectations. We're too smart to be convinced that what's normal is what's beautiful. We just sort of...opt out of playing the same failure game that everyone else plays.
It seems like the delusional game the rest of the world is playing [about getting a 24 inch waist the healthy way] is just as crazy as starving yourself. More so. Restricting will get you there. 1800+ calories a day won't. It might make you *muscular* if you're working out.
God, people are just so full of contradictions.
They say 'be healthy.'
If they say it to a fat person they're saying 'lose weight'
If they're saying it to a "healthy" person, they mean 'don't get thinner than me'
and if they're saying it to a thin person, they mean 'get fat so I can be thinner than you'
Fuck that nonsense.
I know what I want.
~
So that was the rant I had waiting in my reserves. What do you think?
I want to direct you guys to a great website I stumbled upon yesterday. PrettyThin
It's like a proana myspace and it has heaps of users. I can't believe I didn't know about it O_O
25.5 inch waist? Oh you tiny girl.
ReplyDeleteYou're right though on this post - I hate how people are always telling fat people to lose weight, but getting all over skinny people for being "too skinny."
haha i dont even know what my waist measurement is anymore :/
ReplyDeletedeff not anywhere near 24"...
prolyl more like 54 inches hahahahaha
\
lol jk im not obese anymore :D
omg when did prettythin occur and why have i never heard of it omgomgomg...
stay strong <3
I completely agree. I think it's silly that society is still trying to set a bar for women, especially when in the past it has done nothing but give them more reason to become uncomfortable with their bodies.
ReplyDeleteYes, at 20.85 or even less I still feel like there is something wrong with me, and I know I'm not the only one.
Take care :)
Woah. I need to check out prettythin.
ReplyDeleteAlso...I think I love you.
That was such a wonderful rant. Though I think that perfect BMI thing is complete bullshit. When we did an actual calculation of mine, with my own weight, and height, and all that? I got a 19. I mean...that would be considered under...but I'm still Overweight.
When you actually calculate it, and compare it to how much you work out, and do the rest of that, there's a HUGE difference from that BMI that's "healthy", and I did mine not just two weeks ago, and I looked at the charts every single nationally certified trainer had at this gym, including the trainer I work with when i can afford him, and he trains pro athletes, and women who do "shows". Like...either muscle building or "thinness" shows. Yes, they exist. For being the smallest, best shaped, and best toned, at the lowest weight.
Isn't it nuts?
So yeah. I don't pay attention to BMI. I just...don't like it XD
I pretty much agree with everything you just wrote,
ReplyDeleteI'm following your blog.
"They say 'be healthy.'
ReplyDeleteIf they say it to a fat person they're saying 'lose weight'
If they're saying it to a "healthy" person, they mean 'don't get thinner than me'
and if they're saying it to a thin person, they mean 'get fat so I can be thinner than you'"
Girl, you got it straight up. No lie, that's life these days. I often go on rants such as these on my blog. I absolutely adore this one. THANK YOU.
P.s. 20.85? buuuulllshiiiiiiitttttttt
FANTASTIC post. That really made me happy.. :)
ReplyDeleteYou know what other song has those measurements? Brick House by The Commodores.
Yes, we are all living in a world full of contradictions!
ReplyDeleteSo frustrating! I think it's kind of interesting how much attention we all (everybody-everybody) pays to outward appearance. It effects each and everyone of our lives immensely. It's kind of sad but at the same time it's not something that can be ignored when it is kind of the norm.
How do you not care what you look like when it directly effects how you are treated. It effects your job, lovelife, friendships...EVERYTHING.