Let’s start on a positive note:
If you:
- Don’t have high blood sugar, or high blood pressure
- Can physically do everything you want to, and need to do
- Can get into the clothes you want
- And are quite happy as you are…
Take a moment to feel good; that’s a significant start.
But….your weight may still have some influences on your health and happiness, so it’s best to look at the more specific tests that follow..
The common but imperfect answer: Body Mass Index
Looking up Google for “Are You Overweight”, the vast majority of results relate to the BMI, or Body Mass Index, which divides your weight in kg by your height in metres squared to come up with a number you compare against some ranges. For instance, 110 kg / 2.0m squared equals 27.5. (19-25 is healthy range, 25-29 is overweight and 30+ is obese) The answer ( for example, 27.5) is an approximation of your body fat.
However it's generally accepted that this can be inaccurate because the calculation - specifically the weight bit - doesn’t differentiate between muscle and fat. A very muscular male might have a BMI of 30 – but be carrying little fat. If he’s active, he’s not overweight. However, it’s accepted that for studies of very large populations, where the testers can’t measure everyone’s muscles, it’s a useful measure of whether people are a healthy weight. (After all, a very small proportion of us fall into the very muscly area)
So BMI is certainly OK if you haven’t done any specific strength building for at least a couple of years. So take the test and aim for the healthy range! There are plenty of BMI calculators on the Web – just put “BMI Calculator” into Google.
What reduction should you ultimately aim for, as a way of life?
The 2m guy above can lose 11Kg and just make the healthy zone. (Was 27.5, will be 24.75) A 70 Kg person at 1.6 m (5”5”) can lose 6kg to scrape in (from 27.3 to 25) And who wants to just scrape in?
A Better AND Simpler Answer: The Tape Measure Will Tell You
A recent study appears to be broadly displacing the Body Mass Index (BMI) Scale as a test of the healthiness of your weight, and it’s simple. Waistline measurement is what counts.
Even if people aren’t overweight by other measures, those with larger waistlines are likely to show greater risk of heart disease than those with smaller waistlines, according to a study at the University of Texas’ Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. (For some time prior to this, it has been believed that fat around the middle changes the way the body uses fat, which can lead to diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Fat in a large abdomen is more likely to break down and enter the blood where it can clog the arteries)
Sophisticated imagery and tomography scans were used to look for early signs of arterial disease in 2744 people with a median age of 45. There was a direct relationship between waistlines and heart disease risk; in fact, it was straight-line. The smaller the waist, the clearer the arteries. (Was the world meant to be this simple?)
In short, men should get and stay below 40 inches at the waistline (101.6 cm) and women below 35 inches (89 cm) And all reductions beyond (below) those measurements decrease risk, and should be worked on. No ideal was stated.
Should You Lose Weight?