Healthy Weight and the Olympic Gymnasts
As I watch the 2008 Beijing Olympics, I realize how important it is to teach your children (and yourself!) about healthy body weight. I found this article in the LA Times on the weight and height of several Olympic gymnasts (actually, only US and China). But let’s talk about this for a minute:
If you plot these girls on the CDC growth curves (in which BMI for age <5th percentile is underweight and >95th percentile is at risk for overweight/obese), you will find that of the 6 Chinese girls, only 2 of the 6 girls on the All-Around Team were of normal BMI (body mass index, or weight for height).
Of Team USA, 5 of the 6 girls (83%) were of normal BMI for their age. Now, this IS dependent on the article I read stating the accurate weight, height, and age of each of the girls (and I assumed that they all just turned their noted age).
Of the individual medals awarded in the women’s gymnastics finals, 12 of the 15 went to USA or China. Of these medals, 75% of the medals (to China or USA) went to normal weight (defined by BMI/age) women . Coincidence? Maybe….
However, if you are watching the Olympics with your children, nieces/nephews, etc, make sure you stress that even though these girls are thin and are winning medals, being underweight isn’t always healthy. If you noticed, Team USA had more muscle mass (muscle weighs more than fat); hence why they weigh more. These girls looked healthy and fit (and I am sure they are!). Just remember, it’s not about that number on the scale–it’s about being fit, having muscle, and having the strength and endurance to become an Olympian!
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Very interesting… 75% with healthy BMI is pretty impressive data. Still maybe Coincidence, but sure would help convince other Gymnasts that they can be of healthy weights/BMI and still be successful.
I enjoyed the article. I did not think to look at the gymnasts from the BMI perspective. However, when watching the olympics I did notice the small amount of lean muscle the Chinese girls had when compared to the USA gals.
I wonder if the CDC data is averages for “westerners”. It seems to me the Chinese people overall are smaller and thinner. Perhaps the Chinese gymnasts are “fine” for their culture.
I have to agree with James about the growth charts. My daughter is Chinese and a gymnast. The doctors used the “asian” growth charts to measure her progress as a baby and toddler. Now, at age 8, she is well above ‘normal’ on Chinese charts, but only in the 50th % on ‘american’ charts!