Canada Says Obesity Isn't Weight-based

Ben Garves Podcast: Fitness, Nutrition, and Activism

Canada is doing something I think the whole world can learn from, but take it with a grain of salt. They’re changing the way they look at obesity to say it’s not just measured on a scale and with a tape measure around your waist. Obesity is as much from a lack of good nutrition and exercise as it is from emotional issues and genetics.

Here’s the problem: they’re saying the idea is that the best weight a Canadian can achieve is not necessarily the ideal weight for them to achieve. That I disagree with. I’ve seen too many people change their workouts and nutrition and lose 200 lbs to say its not something everyone can do. They can, if they’re given the right support and education.

That being said, I’m for one a huge proponent of distancing ourselves from the body mass index, or BMI, which falters when taking into account a person's level of fitness and just looks at their height versus their weight. You can look fit and have an unhealthy heart, and you can be fit and have your body mass index tell you you’re out of shape.

None of these are a problem if you’re eating right, sleeping right, and exercising often. If you can achieve those three things, you’ll always see progress.

Thanks for listening this morning. Please be sure like, rate, review, and subscribe. It’s free to you and means the world to me. I’m Ben Garves, and we’ll chat tomorrow.