slim

[Scoobyqueen]

Alcohol as suggested above might indeed be a major factor. Come to think of it, before women started binge drinking we never really noticed muffin tops. I dont think women in China binge drink. They dont have muffin tops and also dont have whale tails (or so it seems). By the way how would you say muffin tops and whale tail in Chinese?

Exercise/lifestyle - regular daily walking/biking definitely helps, even if it's only for 30-60 minutes/day.

Only 30-60 minutes a day - is quite a lot for most people I would imagine. Today I think few people get even a 20 minute walk in.

A "good" girl should not weigh more than 100 pounds

A recent study from the UK suggested a ten point plan to remain healthy. One was to maintain the weight you have at 21.

Meiguoren - picture is grim but an accurate reflection of what you see regularly in Paris

[Quest]

I think most of it is genetics.

[wai ming]

Peer pressure

[muyongshi]

I will help clarify that most people when the say 100 pounds are referring to 斤. Note that 50 kg is actually 110 lbs.

[cdn_in_bj]

1. China HAS a growing obesity Problem

Agreed

3. There is little healthy food awareness in China

Agreed. Though I thinnk a big factor in this is that not too long ago food was scarce and people were starving. Hence the favourable attitudes towards eating fatty meat.

5. You see many overweight kids

Yes, I've noticed this too.

6. Kids move way less then in the past, it's study time, not play time

You can also blame the interweeb as well. There's a stat about Chinese youths spending the most amount of time online.

That problem will definitely grow. in 10-15 years time there will be plenty of heart problems around. Not to different from the west. Different is maybe, we know what is bad for us, but still eat it.

Already starting to see this - diabetes and high blood pressure are on the rise here. Also, most of my male coworkers have "fatty liver" - I'm not exactly sure what this is but to me it sounds like something you should be concerned about, yet everyone just treats it as a joke.

[crazy-meiguoren]

Not to different from the west. Different is maybe, we know what is bad for us, but still eat it.

That is soooo true. All too often we eat too late at night, too many people skip breakfast, and eat too many unhealthy foods. So much stuff we eat, like MSG, high fructose corn syrup, and trans fats, don't even exist in nature. I'm terribly guilty myself. I'd better rein it in, so far I'm one of only two people in my family who does not have diabetes...

[muyongshi]

When I was fresh off the plane in China (from USA), I weighed 51-52kg. After a few months, my weight dropped to 49kg. I am currently 50kg. I better maintain my weight then!

Considering the the avg Chinese female is slightly shorter than me (I am 163cm), I think 50kg is a reasonable benchmark for a young woman of avg height.

If you look at height/weight or BMI charts, a 1.63cm female weighing 50kg has a BMI of 19- which is not considered slim... but is of ideal weight.

This COMPLETELY depends on so much more than those stinking misleading BMI charts. Like muscle mass and bone structure for instance. If my body fat 12% sister could get down below 120 lbs she would be dead! By the way 12% is very very good for a girl and in fact often considered too low. She is larged boned as well as very fit muscularly. Oh and she is only 5 ft 2 by the way.

Myself if I am at 200lbs (20 lbs above the recommended BMI charts as I am 5ft 10) I would have abs. As I too am very large in build.

Try not to just look at weight and BMI, much more important is muscle mass and BFI (body fat index). Lets not put anyone in a cookie cutter please!

[adrianlondon]

mmmm cookies

[renzhe]

I'm surprised that people are still using BMI.

I'm very skinny, yet the BMI classifies me as overweight.

[cdn_in_bj]

This COMPLETELY depends on so much more than those stinking misleading BMI charts. Like muscle mass and bone structure for instance.

Like I said, there are physiological differences.

[crazy-meiguoren]

By the way 12% is very very good for a girl and in fact often considered too low.

It is pushing it on the bottom end. IMHO it's dangerously low. Check this link regarding body fat:

http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bodyfat.htm

I'm surprised that people are still using BMI.

So am I. It has limited effectiveness. Unfortunately, body fat % is not easily done at home. If it is, and anybody knows how to measure body fat, please tell me.

Too often people say, "I've lost 20 pounds". No one asks "20 pounds of what?" If you are not losing fat, you may be losing something else, like muscle mass. That can be misleading, since muscle weighs more than fat.

I read somewhere that if you lose 20 pounds, pick up a 20-pound weight, and just feel how much extra weight you've been packing around on your heart.

[my3rdlang]

It's true that BMI charts are sometimes misleading, and they do not hold for those who are athletic. However, a lot of health insurance companies in the US determine whether one is qualified for the preferred rate based on BMI. I am sure that insurance companies do their research before offering preferred rates so it seems like the BMI holds true for the majority.

[crazy-meiguoren]

Insurance companies aren't always known for embracing the latest and greatest, no matter what the medical and fitness communities are now embracing. I know. I used to work for an insurance company.

[muyongshi]

I am sure that insurance companies do their research before offering preferred rates so it seems like the BMI holds true for the majority.

Insurance companies DO what is in their best interest, not based on much else. If it an "acceptable" method of measurement and it means they make more...heck they will use it!!!

[WHS Editor]

Diet is a big factor to Chinese having lower body fat than us westerners, but also genetics. Generally speaking Chinese are ectomorph's, thus when they eat things they 1) do not put on fat easily and 2) do not put on muscle that easily. Also agree with the above post, BMI is not always that accurate. Whether you are measuring using traditional pinch test, or using a machine, often the measurement factors in Muscle - and not just fat. Often the best way to test your body fat is by taking a photo of "now", "during" and after... although sometimes our own eyes can lie... get your buddy to help you on this as well.

For the diet factors, Chinese have been eating rice for 1,000's of years, thus their bodies are used to it. When us foreigners eat rice, especially white rice, the body stores the excess calories. Rice is one of the highest GI foods out there... if you are going to choose rice to eat, brown rice is always going to be healthier.

Cheers,

Drew

[pookie]

BMI charts are extremely frustrating. I once had to explain to my own doctor (yes doctor) that my excess BMI was not worrying due to a good body fat % I was body building at the time and easily weighed 20% more than people of a similar size to me (due to muscle being far heavier than fat). My doctor completely ignored me and carried on his rhetoric about my above average BMI.

It's fair to say that I never see a GP anymore. If I'm really ill I'll go to the hospital, otherwise I'll avoid them at all costs.

BMI is out-dated - come on NHS - catch up please!

Back to the main topic...I do gain weight easily (muscle or fat) and is based mainly on my genes. I had an English friend who also wanted to get into body building. Despite some very good training and copious amounts of calories (protein and good carbs) he put on only 7lbs of muscle. He had two weeks off training at Xmas and lost it all :-)

My wife is Chinese and eats more than me yet she stays below 50kg. Genes contribute as much as life-style I believe.

[WHS Editor]

Yes I had the same problem with some electric BMI testers. Too much muscle throughout the whole system making me appear on the obese size rather than quite a healthy range. Many semi professional bodybuilders and fitness competitors I know, they do not use BMI nor do they (even worse) weigh themselves. Simply use the mirror and can see what needs improving or not... BUT depending on what level you are at, and your genetic make up the fat loss you want to achieve needs to be healthy!

Drew

[ABCinChina]

I hear ya! Those BMI are so frustrating since I'm always overweight myself. I try to say that it's the muscle mass, but my last nutritionist told me to stop eating so much meat and more fruits.

On another note, Chinese do stay slim which is good for girls and bad for guys. Nothing looks worse than a skinny guy in a pair of jeans with absolutely no ass. (Not that I try to look) It is partly due to genetics and the fact that people do not eat as well here as they do in Western countries. Just compare your average Chinese guy that was born overseas with the average Chinese guy in China.

[gougou]

Just compare your average Chinese guy that was born overseas

Anything you're trying to tell us, ABCinChina?

[ABCinChina]

What I'm trying to say is that Chinese people born overseas have better asses!

But seriously, genetics only play a role for a certain time, but if the later generations are consistently eating better, then the population will get taller and bigger over time. Take Japan for example. They have increased the size of school desks about three times because Japanese kids keep getting bigger.