In Most Cases, Normal is Just a Statistic

Vitamin D, again…

Vitamin D is back in the news. It has been one of my pet peeves over the years. We know what the average levels are, but we still don’t know if low or high levels mean anything for people without osteoporosis. Most insurance companies don’t pay for screening and now the Endocrine Society has officially advised against screening people under 75 without osteoporosis for vitamin D deficiency.

Think about it, the average BMI in this country is around 30, which is our definition of obesity. So it is the statistical average, which in most instances is how we define “normal”, but is it “normal” or “desirable” to be obese?