Numbers hold a lot of weight in our world, but why do they mean so much? Numbers tell us the time, the date, our grades, but often times the figures that take the most toll are the ones that tell someone how heavy they are. Although, the information that is displayed on the scale is more complex because it also comes with a label. This tells us if we are an acceptable weight for our height. What makes it worse is that one of the possible options a person can land under is labeled "normal" (right after the underweight sections). The simple definition of normal, according the the Merriam-Webster dictionary is "usual or ordinary; not strange." So then, what would that make the other labels? Well according to the Body Mass Index charts, those would be: overweight, obese, and clinically obese. However, if they do not land in the "normal" category would they be considered unusual and strange? Obviously not! No matter where they land on a silly chart they are still humans, not some bizarre specimen. It had been disputed that this method of measurement does not even work.
Who are the creators of this chart to tell us what "normal" is? In fact, I would argue that there is no such thing as normal because bodies come in all shapes, sizes, and types. There are many things that BMI does not account for. It is only based on two simple things: weight and height. People are composed of so much more than those two factors. What about muscle mass? Muscle weighs more than fat anyway, would something like that push someone outside the boundaries of normal? Furthermore, what about curves? Some people have curves that are not attributed to gained weight, these are just curves they developed and will always have. This is why there are different body types (hourglass, cone, pear, etc). No doubt that might add extra weight which would not make someone normal.
Until they come up with a way for me to include a measurement of my thigh muscle, chest size, and hip width only then will I trust my label on the infamous chart. But, until that moment comes, this chart and where it says I land (or have in the past) will not be important in my life. The only thing that matters on a chart is my level of confidence.
