Although I’m not willing to accept any of the various organizations and government agency’s word as gospel, I think it’s a good idea to see where I stand with my weight problem.  You can run the same calculations here:

http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/

I chose the neutral version (which defaults to male).

I currently weigh 285 pounds.  I’m 6′3″ tall.  I’m a male.  I am 41 years old.  Those are the inputs.

That gives me a BMI (body mass index) of 35.6.

According to WHO (the World Health Organization) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), that labels me as “obese”, not just “overweight.”

Not only am I obese, but I am in the 96th% of all men who are my age and height.  Average would be 50%.  Even “average” is overweight since most people are overweight by WHO/CDC standards.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a BMI of 25-29.9 is “overweight.”   A BMI of 30 or above is “obsese.”  A BMI over 25 is statistically likely to have a lower life expectancy.

I then went to the charts.  My race is now included.

The average weight for my race and age is 185 pounds.

From there, I went to check out the “ideal weight” charts.

Using my height, gender and age, the “ideal weight” chart comes up with a “people’s choice” weight of 235 pounds.  I would have 50 pounds to lose.

However, the medical recommendation is 152-200 pounds.  200 pounds is my maximum weight in order to not be considered “overweight” by the medical community.  More importantly, that is the weight at which I am no longer a part of the statistical group that has a lower life span.

So, that’s where I stand.

Where do you stand?

-James D. Brausch