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I apologize in advance for the novel, but here are some thoughts.
I think that targeting people with a BMI over 30 is ridiculous and they should either make everybody take the class or have nobody take that.
With that being said, there are so many excuses in this thread that I can't take it anymore.
First, yes you can be skinny and unhealthy. But you cannot have a BMI of 30 (except for a negligible percentage of world class athletes) and call yourself healthy. There is no way.
I understand the limitations of the BMI system. For example, my brothers lift weights frequently and their BMI likely says they are more overweight than they are in reality. But that is not a difference of more than a couple digits.
I am really frustrated with the commonplace American rhetoric that IMPLIES (not SAYS, so save the counter-argument) that because some skinny people are malnourished that it is just as good to be obese. It is ridiculous! Sure there are some people out there who have super-metabolisms who can eat junk all day and stay skinny. But let's be honest, how big is that percentage really? And how many stay that way after their late teens/early twenties?
The other common argument is even more ridiculous: the statement that some people with low BMIs have eating disorders so that is just as unhealthy. Sure, a girl who has a low BMI because of an eating disorder is unhealthy, but if you have to use that as a foil for your obese BMI then you should already realize this hurts your argument more than it helps. Plus the BMI system ACCOUNTS for people who have "too low" of a BMI. It certainly does not claim they are healthy.
The truth of the matter is that after a certain age, the majority of people whose BMIs fall into the "healthy" range really ARE healthy. They eat well and they exercise. And guess what? By using portion control and restraint you can have an incredible body and skip a couple days of working out, eat a large french fries every now and then, etc. Since the rest of their habits are healthy, they can afford to indulge occasionally.
Sure, there is a genetic component to weight, and certain health issues can cause you to pack it on, but once you are reaching a BMI of 30??? You are playing yourself if you are telling yourself that is healthy.
There is a difference between self-acceptance and healthy. If you have no problems being obese and can accept yourself for it, that is fine. I understand that there is a lot of unhealthy pressure (especially against girls) to look a certain way. However you do have to understand that it is NOT healthy. Please do not tear down the accomplishments of being who try to be healthy so that they can live longer (scientifically proven) and live a healthier life.
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