An Israeli study demonstrated that Israeli Jewish women were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their body weight than non-Jewish Israeli women. This may also be the situation regarding the Jewish community in the U.S. as body dissatisfaction and desire for thinness is commonplace in high-SES settings across world regions.
A new UCLA study found that millions considered overweight or obese on the BMI scale are health using better measures. The study found that nearly half, 47 percent, of overweight people and 29 percent of obese people were quite healthy. A large number of “normal” weight people, almost a third, 30 percent, were metabolically unhealthy, that is their blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose, insulin resistance and C reactive protien data–markers that are linked with heart disease were in the unhealthy range.
The LA Times article points out that employers could potentially saddle people with unfair high insurance costs based on a person's BMI measure, a deeply flawed measure of actual health.
Pini Herman, PhD. specializes in demographics, big data and predictive analysis, has served as Asst. Research Professor at the University of Southern California Dept. of Geography, Adjunct Lecturer at the USC School of Social Work, Research Director at the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles following Bruce Phillips, PhD. in that position and is President of the Movable Minyan a lay-lead independent congregation in the 3rd Street area which has High Holiday Services every year. Currently he is a principal of Phillips and Herman Demographic Research. To email Pini: pini00003@gmail.com To follow Pini on Twitter: Follow @pinih
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