Changes in Modern Societal Aesthetics and Standards for Judging Obesity

Modern society does not glorify obesity.

From an aesthetic point of view, being overweight was not a problem for people in ancient China, because they considered plumpness to be beautiful, referring to it as full-figured and prosperous. Even in the 1950s and 60s, the image of beauty in people's minds was mostly that of a woman with broad shoulders and a plump body, while being thin was seen as a sign of bourgeois morbidity.

Obesity has become a problem, especially a social one, only in recent years. There are roughly two reasons for this: First, as living standards have improved and people have become more affluent, they can eat meat and sugar freely, leading to excess calories and anxieties about weight. Second, the influence of models plays a significant role. All models are extremely thin, almost skeletal, like clothes hangers. Their presence is visually striking for men, and naturally, they become role models for women. As a result, it's now rare to encounter women in real life who are worried about being thin.

However, weight loss is no longer just a fashion trend. More and more medical experts are revealing the link between obesity and numerous diseases. Coupled with the many inconveniences and embarrassments that obese people experience, weight loss has become a top priority for obese individuals worldwide. Even those who are slim are wary of obesity. Unfortunately, however, in different countries and regions, we still see round, chubby figures running around in the streets.

This phenomenon, like the destruction of the oxygen layer, should probably be attributed to the side effects of material civilization.

There is no unchanging Venus.

With the general improvement in living standards worldwide, cultural trends from advanced countries are rapidly spreading to other nations through powerful mass media. From fashion and furniture styles to women's attire and fashion trends, these trends have spread globally, embodying the saying "fashion knows no borders." At the same time, new standards have emerged for judging beauty-the modern Venus.

The modern standard for Venus is determined by the common standards of the masses. As we all know, almost every year, international beauty pageants such as Miss Universe and Miss World select beautiful representatives from various countries, then bring them together, and finally select the most beautiful woman from among them.

The figures of these internationally renowned beauties-that is, the ideal female physique admired worldwide-are all slender and graceful, yet full-figured without being obese. Moreover, these beauties possess perfect bodies capable of enjoying life to the fullest-well-developed breasts and hips, curvaceous figures, and an allure that attracts men-precisely the essential qualities required to become a modern-day Venus.

However, it is worth noting that any beauty pageant standard is based on health as a fundamental condition.

How to calculate your obesity level using the BMI index

To definitively determine obesity, total body fat percentage must first be measured. A better formula now exists, based on easily measurable height and weight, comparing these measurements to a standard weight to assess the degree of obesity. Everyone knows that standard weight is calculated by subtracting 100 from height and multiplying by 0.9. However, this method lacks scientific basis and is too stringent for shorter individuals. Therefore, a new method for calculating standard weight is based on the Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is calculated by dividing the square of height (meters) by weight (kilograms).

Studies investigating the relationship between BMI and disease have found that, for both men and women, the lowest BMI for disease incidence is 22. A BMI exceeding 20% ​​significantly increases the risk of disease. Therefore, based on this finding, 22 has been designated as the "standard value," and a BMI exceeding 20% ​​is classified as "obese." This data is now widely used as a criterion by organizations such as the Obesity Society.

Many teenage girls, unless they are truly thin, believe they are fat. This is usually just their own perception. In fact, after weighing themselves, quite a few are not fat at all and should actually gain weight. Some people are tall and have a large frame, so of course they should weigh more. As long as your height, weight, chest circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, thigh circumference, calf circumference, and ankle circumference meet the data in the table below, you should not consider yourself obese. This table is a standard body measurement chart for women established by Japanese scientific experts. If your values ​​are significantly outside or below the normal range, it indicates that you are either too fat or too thin.

The method for calculating ideal weight using the BMI index is to multiply the square of your height (in meters) by 22. If the value differs significantly from your ideal weight, the risk of developing diseases will relatively increase.

Height (cm) Weight (kg) Chest (cm) Waist (cm)

144 40.5～42.8 73.5～86.4 49.0～54.4

145 41.0～43.2 74.5～87.0 49.4～54.8

146 41.5～43.8 75.0～87.6 49.8～55.2

147 42.0～44.2 75.5～88.2 50.2～55.6

148 42.5～44.8 76.0～88.8 50.6～56.0

149 42.8～45.2 76.5～89.4 51.0～56.4

150 43.0～45.6 77.0～90.0 51.4～56.8

151 43.5～46.0 77.3～90.6 51.8～57.2

152 44.0～46.5 77.6～91.2 52.2～57.6

153 44.5～47.0 77.9～91.8 52.6～58.0

154 45.0～47.6 78.2～92.4 52.9～58.3

155 45.5～48.0 78.5～93.08 53.2～58.6

156 45.9～48.6 78.8～93.6 53.5～59.1

157 46.3～49.3 79.1～94.2 53.8～59.4

158 46.7～50.0 79.4～94.8 54.0～59.6

159 47.1～50.6 79.9～95.4 54.2～59.8

160 47.5～51.2 80.0～96.0 54.4～60.0

161 48.2～52.0 80.5～99.6 54.6～60.3

162 49.0～52.8 81.0～97.2 54.7～60.6

163 50.0～53.6 81.5～97.8 54.8～60.9

164 50.7～54.2 82.0～98.4 54.9～61.2

165 51.4～55.0 82.5～99.9 55.0～61.5

166 52.1～56.0 83.0～99.6 55.1～61.8

167 52.8～57.0 83.5～100.2 55.2～62.1

168 53.5～58.0 84.0～100.8 55.3～62.4

169 54.7～59.1 84.5～101.4 55.4～62.7

170 55.0～60.0 85.0～102.0 55.5～63.0

Hip circumference (cm) Thigh circumference (kg) Calf circumference (cm) Ankle circumference (cm)

80.5～86.4 44.8～47.8 28.5～31.4 17.0～18.0

80.8～87.0 45.0～48.0 28.6～31.5 17.0～18.1

81.1～87.6 45.2～48.2 28.7～31.6 17.1～18.2

81.4～88.2 45.4～48.4 28.8～31.7 17.1～18.4

81.7～88.8 45.6～48.6 28.9～31.8 17.2～18.6

82.0～89.4 45.8～48.8 29.0～31.9 17.2～18.8

82.3～90.0 46.0～49.0 29.1～32.0 17.3～19.0

82.5～90.6 46.2～49.2 29.2～32.1 17.4～19.3

82.7～91.2 46.4～49.4 29.4～32.2 17.5～19.6

82.9～91.8 46.6～49.6 29.6～32.3 17.6～19.9

83.1～92.4 46.8～49.8 29.8～32.4 17.7～20.2

83.3～93.6 47.0～50.0 30.0～32.5 17.8～20.5

83.5～93.9 47.2～50.2 30.1～32.6 17.9～20.7

83.7～94.2 47.4～50.4 30.2～32.7 18.0～20.9

83.9～94.8 47.8～50.6 30.3～32.8 18.1～21.1

84.1～95.4 48.0～50.8 30.4～32.9 18.2～21.3

84.5～96.0 48.2～51.0 30.5～33.0 18.3～21.5

85.0～96.6 48.4～51.5 30.8～33.1 18.4～21.6

85.5～97.2 48.6～52.0 31.2～33.2 18.5～21.7

86.0～97.8 48.8～52.5 31.5～33.3 18.6～21.8

86.5～98.4 49.0～53.0 31.7～33.4 18.7～21.9

87.0～99.0 49.2～53.5 31.9～33.5 18.8～22.9

87.5～99.6 49.4～54.0 32.1～33.6 18.9～22.1

88.0～100.2 49.6～54.5 32.3～33.7 19.0～22.2

88.5～100.8 49.8～55.0 32.5～33.8 19.1～22.3

89.0～101.4 50.0～55.5 32.7～33.9 19.2～22.4

89.5～102.0 50.2～56.0 32.9～34.0 19.3～22.5

How to determine the type of obesity

Obesity is often classified into different types such as "edema" and "stress," but doctors specializing in metabolism believe that this has no medical basis and is purely a cosmetic classification.

In medicine, obesity is mainly divided into two types: "male type" and "female type". The former mainly involves fat accumulation around the navel, also known as "apple-shaped body". The latter involves fat accumulation in the thighs and buttocks, also known as "pear-shaped body".

Apple-shaped obesity

This refers to obesity with a so-called "beer belly," particularly a body type characterized by fat accumulation around the abdomen. If the waist-to-hip ratio is 1 or higher for men and 0.8 or higher for women, it is considered apple-shaped obesity, requiring special attention to adult-onset diseases. While some apple-shaped obese individuals have subcutaneous fat obesity, the majority suffer from visceral fat obesity.

Pear-shaped obesity

This body type primarily accumulates fat in the lower abdomen, buttocks, and thighs, and is more common in young women. The degree of fat accumulation can be assessed by appearance; a general standard is a waist-to-hip ratio of less than 0.7. Pear-shaped obesity is mostly subcutaneous fat accumulation.

Compared to the two types of obesity, male obesity is often associated with the accumulation of visceral fat, which can easily lead to cardiovascular diseases, while female obesity is mainly a cosmetic issue.

Another Japanese classification method categorizes obesity based on the location of fat accumulation, resulting in five types: A, B, C, D, and E.

Type A: This type mainly involves fat accumulation in the abdomen, especially common in middle-aged and elderly men. They are characterized by small buttocks but a large belly, requiring them to wear suspenders to avoid the risk of their pants falling down.

Type B: Fat mainly accumulates in the chest and buttocks.

Type C: This is characterized by a uniform increase in body fat, belonging to "cellular proliferation type obesity," which is commonly seen in obese adolescents.

Type D: Fat accumulates only in the torso, with the chest, back, abdomen, and buttocks becoming thicker, while the face and limbs remain thin, resembling a diamond-shaped figure on a playing card. This type is often classified as "hypercellular obesity."

Type E: Obese individuals tend to accumulate fat primarily in their lower body, with enlarged waist, hips, and thighs. They often experience leg swelling after walking only a short distance and feel easily tired.

Take a look and see which type you are!

How to correctly weigh oneself

Individual weight varies due to factors such as age, sex, race, and genetics. Body weight can also change due to various factors. Under normal circumstances, the weight gained from food and water intake each day is balanced by the weight excreted through feces, urine, and sweat. However, weight can vary at different times. For example, there can be an error of 0.5 to 1 kilogram before and after meals, before and after defecation, and before and after heavy sweating. The amount of clothing worn can also affect the accuracy of weight measurement. Therefore, accurate weight measurement should minimize the influence of these variable factors.

(1) The daily fluctuation of water balance in the human body is about 1.4 kg, so the best time to weigh yourself is in the morning on an empty stomach, after you have emptied your bowels and bladder. At this time, there are the fewest influencing factors.

(2) You should choose the same time to weigh yourself each time. Do not weigh yourself on an empty stomach one time and after a full meal the next time.

(3) Wear as little clothing as possible when weighing, except for shoes. Winter clothing and footwear may have an error of 1 to 2 kilograms, so try to wear the same weight of clothing each time.

(4) Women may weigh 1 to 2 kilograms more before their period than usual.

All of the above factors should be taken into account when weighing to ensure that the weight is measured as accurately as possible.