Re:Life expectancy rise in rich countries slows down: took 3...
by lolinder on Wednesday October 16, 2024 @09:49AM
(#41859018)
But the question here is whether you can compare the BMI curves of two countries and come to any conclusions, and the answer is pretty solidly "no".
Bone density, muscle mass, torso height relative to leg height—none of these things are factored into BMI and all of these vary wildly depending on genes.
Re:Life expectancy rise in rich countries slows down: took 3...
by consteval on Thursday October 17, 2024 @05:09PM
(#41873821)
> vary wildly depending on genes
Being born with worse attributes doesn't mean those attributes are out of the equation. A lot of people die much younger than they should just by poor luck, with little or no control on their end.
If you happen to have higher bone density and higher muscle mass just because you have higher testosterone, you're still better off. Sometimes people just get the short end of the stick. That doesn't necessarily mean BMI doesn't work.
I've even met smokers, smokers! Who have better cardiovascular health than me and are skinnier. Which really fucking sucks for me.
It's a pretty straightforward formula, and even though the cutoffs might be arbitrary, there's undoubtedly a u shaped mortality curve centered somewhere around 20-25. At a population level I don't think any of that is a relevant factor. No one thinks that your risk of death hinges on crossing an arbitrary line, but being fatter definitely isn't good for your health.