Rick’s Body Fat % Lands Him In The “Obese” Category

I'm throwing it out there with this one.  I've recently started to work out for the first time in my life and today I came across some information that doesn't set well with me.  Apparently I'm obese.  There's five different categories you can land in with "obese" being the worst of the five.  There's...

• Athletic            5-10% body fat
• Good              11-14% body fat
• Average          15-20% body fat
• Overweight     21-24% body fat
• Obese             25% and over

Part of my workout is scanning my body weekly which shows you every little flaw you have.  I'm a bit embarrassed to throw this out but whatever... most of us fall into this not so perfect category so I'm doing it.  Here's what my scan looks like.

Now I'm not happy with what I see but I sure don't feel like this is obese.  As you can see most of my issues are in the belly area with the chest and arms needing a little tune up.  And that's why I'm working out, trying to eat right, and taking these scans.  This scan says my body fat is 26.49%.  Yeah.  That's not even in the "overweight" category.  I'm obese.

Here's some pictures of Carly and I doing different appearances for WOW Country.  It's hard for me to look at these and say, "that's not only an overweight guy but he's obese."  I just don't see it.  I don't feel it.  It's hard for me to believe it.  Maybe I'm just in denial and can't wrap my brain around it but really?  This is obese??

I tried looking up body fat percentage on a number of different websites and they're all pretty much in agreement.  25% or more is obese.

I guess what scares me about all this is not necessarily what people think of me.  I don't care.  If I did I wouldn't blast my clay-mation body scan for the whole world to see.  I'd hide in a little corner pretending that I'm better than I am, covering up whatever fat I have with the right clothes and the right angles when someone's taking my picture.  My concern is for younger people who get labeled or put into categories that are not necessarily accurate.  Or maybe people that are truly in the "obese" category that want to better themselves and be healthier.

I'm 6' 2" and 190 pounds.  If I lost 10 to 20 pounds I'd be over the moon excited.  To tell a man who's 5' 9" and 300 pounds that I'm obese is a little disheartening when he's doing the best he can to lose the weight and get healthy.  I don't know who comes up with these studies and statistics and numbers but I don't agree.

Some people are fat.  I get it.  I have fat and I have issues and I'm working on it.  Am I the fattest person out there?  No.  But I'm not sure if that matters much because whatever I am, whichever label best describes me, no matter what people want to say about me... I'm just me.  I'm different and with all my shortcomings and flaws I know I'm incredible in just as many ways if not more.  I don't see an obese person when I look at myself.  Maybe that's my problem.  Maybe I'm in denial but I don't care.  I see a 46-year-old man that can stack up pretty good next to most 46-year-old men.  I see a guy who loves his family more than anything in the world.  Loves his job and loves people.  I'm grateful to God for all my blessings and guess what?  I don't need a label to tell me to work out or to try and be better.  I do that because I want to.  I do it for me.