The Rock Is Obese?

The following is taken from the November 13th WND newsletter:

Controversial Index Finds Brad Pitt, Will Smith ‘Overweight’

The Centers for Disease Control uses the Body Mass Index (BMI) to define when a person is overweight or obese, yet the index is so inaccurate that even an in-shape athlete like All-Pro quarterback Tom Brady can be called “overweight.”

The BMI, invented in 1835 by Belgian statistician Adolphe Quetelet, is defined as a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height, in meters.

A BMI below 18.5 is defined as underweight; 18.5 to 24.9, normal; 25 to 29.9, overweight; 30 and above, obese.

But the index makes no distinction between body mass that is fat and mass that is muscle. This often means that people who are in good shape fall into the overweight or obese categories.

Not many observers would consider George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, Will Smith or Denzel Washington to be out of shape, yet all are defined as overweight according to the BMI.

Tom Cruise and The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) are defined as obese.

Unfortunately, the BMI is being cited to justify moves to impose new taxes on high-calorie items including candy and soft drinks.

The incidence of obesity in American adults rose from 13 percent in 1962 to 34 percent in 2008, as measured by the BMI, before leveling off more recently.

“In the past two decades nutritionists, biologists, and doctors have become increasingly interested in the causes and prevention of obesity,” according to a report from the Tax Foundation.

“Recently, this fervor has spilled over into the political scene as many politicians and some scientists make the case for government intervention to help trim the nation’s waistline.”

Seventeen states now tax candy at a higher rate than other groceries, and four states collect an excise tax on soda.

This year 14 states proposed new taxes on soda as high as 2 cents per ounce, which in the case of some drink mixes could amount to a price rise of 264 percent.

These taxes would be imposed, of course, on all individuals who consume the products, not just those who consume them in excess or are overweight or obese.

The Tax Foundation also points to a recent study that found that when adolescents drink less soda due to prices increases, the drop in calories is offset by an increase in calories consumed in other food and drink.

The Foundation concludes: “Body Mass Index is the backbone of the data on obesity, and as we examine the case for obesity taxes, we will see that this flawed measurement technique can have profound effects on how economists and politicians attempt to set the tax rate on soda and candy.”