She was a proud, robust woman with a positive self-image, a heart of gold, street smarts and a savvy sense of fashion, too. When Anna McIntyre stepped out, she knew she was looking good.

She was pleasingly plump - and pleased to support her family and the community in any way she could. She was loved by all who knew her. But at 5 feet tall and 180 pounds she was more than plump; she would have been classified as medically obese.

Now, my grandmother knew nothing about the body mass index, or BMI, and she didn't give a hoot about weight/height charts. She was a simple Southern women who enjoyed cooking hearty meals for her family. Her kind of breakfast included home fries, scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon and biscuits. She took great delight in eating those delectable dishes, too.

Weight was never an issue to my grandmother. She simply saw herself as a "full-figured, big-boned woman."

The question is (drum roll, please!), is there really such a thing as being big-boned? Or is this just another urban myth that has taken on a life of its own?

For years, I have heard the argument that black women have heavier bones than white and Asian women, and therefore the BMI is biased and irrelevant.

For sure, the BMI is a quick-and-dirty gauge. But that said, what justifies the fact that four out of five African-American women (and 7 out of 10 African-American men) are overweight or obese, according to the Office of Minority Health?

Now, before roll your eyes, keep an open mind.

While I'm all for positive self-image and self-esteem for all body types, let's not be delusional.

African-Americans generally have a higher bone mineral density, not bigger bones. Bone density is defined as the amount of bone tissue in a certain volume of bone. Also, the skeletal frame accounts for less than 20 pounds. So, let's keep it real about the size of our bones.

There are, however, differences in frame size. Like everyone else, African-Americans come in a variety of frame sizes. Beyond that, you can be a big person with a small frame, or a small person with a big frame. Send me an e-mail if you want the formula for figuring out your frame size.

My grandmother, for example, had a medium frame but with extra padding. Despite her robust appearance, in her later years she developed osteoporosis, as many black women do.

Yup, that's another myth: Black women don't get osteoporosis.

We do.

Federal statistics show that about 300,000 African-American women suffer from osteoporosis right now.

Muscularity, on the other hand, is about body composition, and it's often confused with that so-called "big-boned" description.

I often hear people describe tennis superstar Serena Williams as "big boned." Some even say she's fat. No, I say, Serena has a muscular body.

Of course there are different body compositions and different genetics (even among siblings - look at Venus Williams) that make some naturally more muscular than others.

Serena Williams is always in slamming shape whether at her ideal weight or above it. She remains a great example of a muscular, thick body.

Muscularity however, should not be confused with "big bones."

While reports of ethnic and gender disparities in the BMI may have some validity, we can no longer ignore that the real problem is the extra pounds

we're carrying.

Had she known better, my grandmother probably would have taken better care of herself - eating healthier and exercising regularly. Once she understood the true damage of cigarettes, she quit.

Today, we all know the dangers of smoking and obesity, too. Now that we know better, we must all do better.

Kimberly Garrison is a certified personal trainer and owner of One on One Ultimate Fitness in Philadelphia (www.1on1ultimatefitness.com). E-mail her at

kimberly@1on1ultimatefitness.com. Her column appears each Thursday in Yo!