Fat Preppers

[Mortblanc]

For many years I ave been degraded at the hands of various English speaking groups from all over the world with the discriminatory generalized reference to "fat Americans", as if all Americans were fat and therefore all should be wiped from the face of the earth or at least deprived of food for an extended period.

Imagine my shock when just the other day I was informed by a news broadcast that the British were the fattiest nation in western Europe and now ranked #2 in the world!

Congratulations, you are now fatter than the Mexicans.

I suppose I could gloat over the numbers but I will not. In fact I will let you in on a little bit of information most folks do not know. It is one of the reasons I do not feel badly about the weight of the average American.

"They" change the numbers whenever they wish too!

And no one really knows who "they" are!

They change the specs for body mass index at a whim and without warning, as well as the old style height weight scales. Since I began watching them as a young adult in the Army during the 1970s they have changed the overweight and obese limits by 20 pounds.

Right now I have height weight charts from three different well respected medical/government institutions before me and they can not agree on what I should weigh, other than it is a ridiculously low number which could only be achieved by a Somalian refugee after an extended stay in a Nazi concentration camp.

According to these charts I can weigh as little as 128 pounds, or as much as 167, and be healthy. As an adult I have weighed as little as 155, after an extended illness, and my daughter in her infinite wisdom and sarcastic manner told me I looked like "death on a cracker" (A form of ship biscuit to you folks). If I were down to 128, acceptable to the medical profession, I would probably be in hospice waiting for death!

And there is no sliding scale for consideration of age. And we all know what age will do to the metabolism, do we not?

I also have a chart from the U.S Army, several charts in fact, and they also have secrets to reveal. They change their number range indiscriminately also!

When recruiting is difficult they raise the acceptable weight limits and when they wish to eliminate older, more expensive soldiers from the ranks they lower the accepted weight limits. The weight allowed across the board has dropped 10 pounds and everyone over 40 has been lumped into the same category in the past 6 years, since the U.S. pulled out of Iraq. (the standards on the PT test have also been increased)

In 2012 I could have been age 50 and weigh 200 pounds and passed the military standard. The medical profession now considers that level as obese.

However, they do one thing that the medical profession does not, they take age into consideration. That scale generally allows for a 5 pound weight gain per decade of life from age 20 years up.

And guess what? That scale STARTS at 12 pounds more than the medical profession allows for an adult male, and is well into the "overweight" category on every chart I have access too.

The scale only goes to age 40, when a man of my height can weigh 190 pounds, but if the numbers are extended to my present age (pushing 70) I am allowed 200-205 pounds and still considered "fit for duty", all the while I tip the balance into the "obesity" range on the medical weight chart.

Now I must admit that I am a bit over that limit, but I have been on a weight loss program for a year now and I have dropped a considerable amount of bulk. 45 pounds to be exact. I am still dropping pounds and I am now only 10 pounds above that 205 number and fully expect to reach 200 before the end of summer.

I have been limiting my calories to 1500 daily and have eliminated all sugar and as many carbs as I can avoid. And that does not mean 'Just a little won't hurt". I have rigidly eliminated carbs from my diet due to type 2 diabetes. I am eating just as well as before, just without potatoes, bread of any kind, or sweets. I have also engaged in a disciplined exercise program that includes 6 miles on the bike daily.

Am I in better shape. Yes I am, but I am nearly 70 and I hurt like an SOB most of the time and spend more time than I want too in the attempt to not mess myself up any more than I already have.

As for the "supersized portions", do not let them kid you or put you on a national guilt trip. Until they stop changing the acceptable numbers at a whim, treat people like humans rather than scientifically engineered livestock and decide they can not have their cake and eat it also I will pay them no mind.

You can not tell a child to eat a carb based diet on that stupid food pyramid, then tell them that their self image should not depend on body shape, encourage them to not strive for what they see in the magazines, and then tell them they are "fat" if they are one pound over some chart recommendation!

It is not over eating that I have been fighting, my diet did not change over the course of 60 years, it is age and metabolism changes. And even though the medical profession does not recognize that fact the military does.

What should we at the over 50 stage expect?

Rule #1 If you can see your feet without bending over you are good to go.

Rule #2 If you can get up the stairs without a rest stop at the half way point you are good.

Rule #3 If you do not use your stomach as a table to hold your plate while eating sitting on the sofa you are good.

Rule #4 If you can pick an item up from the floor without making noises you are good to go.

Rule #5 If you can mow the grass without needing a stop for pain meds when you finish you are good.

OK my rant is over.

Is supper ready yet?