Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Body Mass Index (BMI)

A few years back, I used to walk 4 mph for an hour most days of the week and eat right.  I kinda fell off the wagon when I went back to school for an MBA, and I've been slow to get back into a better lifestyle.  Accordingly, my BMI has suffered.  BMI is calculated with the formula below, and if you're not a kid or elderly, it's a decent measure.  More details can be found here.




I found that a decent BMI for my weight leads to the conclusion that I should be 6'6".  Evidently I need to grow eight inches in height to justify my weight.  I didn't find any non-invasive procedure to effect this heightening - not even Human Growth Hormone does that, as best as I could figure.  An invasive procedure that could be done is called Distraction Osteogenesis:
Distraction osteogenesis is a surgical process used to … lengthen the long bones of the body. A corticotomy is used to fracture the bone into two segments, and the two bone ends of the bone are gradually pulled apart during the distraction phase, allowing new bone to form in the gap. When the desired or possible length is reached, a consolidation phase follows in which the bone is allowed to keep healing. Distraction osteogenesis has the benefit of simultaneously increasing bone length and the volume of surrounding soft tissues.
Yeah, I'll pass on that.  I'm convinced my tendons, ligaments, and other gristle wouldn't keep up even if the bones could.  Besides, I enjoy being 5'10" because I can fit into just about any roadster.

So, I determined a good BMI for my present height and concluded that I should lose 38 pounds.  This running stuff should help.  Beyond that I need to eat a little smarter on the weekends and a little less on the weekdays.  My wife, Tami, is a superb cook and makes healthy meals.  Tonight it was burgers without buns, green beans, and sweet potato slices.

You might notice an additional grill in the background.  Tami caught that one on fire so bad and for so long, we thought the house was in jeopardy.  We're waiting to give it a decent burial.

4 comments:

  1. I am now depressed after figuring my BMI

    I didn't know you could grill sweet pot. Send recipe you use!!

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  2. Tami will email it to you. And, if it's edible, chances are you can grill it. :)

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  3. I wish I wouldn't have figured my BMI :(

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  4. I know what you mean. It said I was obese. And I can see my toes and everything.

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