Scientists Disagree on Waist Measure Value

[livvy]

Scientists Disagree on Waist Measure Value



By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Feb 7, 2009 9:12:05 EST

It doesn’t make sense at first glance. How can a 6-foot-5-inch, 49-year-old master sergeant be expected to have the same 32-inch waist as a 5-foot-5-inch, 18-year-old airman?

But that’s the one-size-fits-all standard for the abdominal circumference portion of the Air Force fitness test. Better known as the waist measurement, it determines up to 30 out of a possible 100 points on the physical training test. Airmen with more than a 32-inch waist — 29 for women — have to go through extra hoops if they hope to ace the PT Test.

Yet the strict waist-size limits do not account for height, age or any other factor, puzzling many airmen and some scientists.

“Everybody has different body shapes, and not everyone can have that 32-inch waist,” said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Young, a physical training leader at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

Steve Farrell, a director at the Cooper Institute — which helps train the Air Force’s fitness leaders — agreed with Young, and also questioned why the waist measurement isn’t scaled for age, like the rest of the test, which includes a 1.5-mile run, worth 50 points; and push-ups and sit-ups, worth 10 points each.

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http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/02/airforce_waist_measurement_020709w/%2e

[Schema Thing]

1. Dumb. Test for muscle to fat ratio. People have different bone structures.

[pop goes the weasel]

2. airforce is horrid

My sister said that everyone she knew when she was in the Air Force was on diet drugs and laxatives, living like anorexics and bulemics, trying to meet the arbitrary standards.