Weight, Obesity, and BMI
Did you know 1 out of 3 Americans is obese? 2 out of 3 are overweight? Yep, according to a 2007 CDC study. And according to a 2007 worldwide study, 40% of adults are overweight, with 25% being obese. Holy crap. More people are obese than underweight worldwide (WHO 2000). And don’t forget the childrens – 15% of those ages 6-19 are overweight according to 2000 CDC data, triple what it was in 1980 (more stats).
But how much do you have to weigh to be considered obese? Well, you are considered obese if you have a BMI greater than 30, and overweight if its greater than 25.
What is BMI? Body Mass Index. It’s the most popular, accurate way (heh, way, pun) to measure obesity (sort of). It’s a simple formula based on your weight (lbs or kg) and height (inches or meters). According to CDC, the BMI formula is 703 x (lbs) / (inches^2), or if you are from metric land, its just weight (kg) / [height (m)]2. For me, I have a 23.7 BMI, thats 703 x 175 lbs / (72 inches)^2 = 23.7, or 79.4 kg / (1.83 meters)^2 = 23.7 in metric talk. Heres my BMI results from this BMI Calculator, which gives you a nice chart like this:
| BMI | Weight Range (6′ tall) | Weight Status |
| 18.4 and Below | 135.7 lbs and Below | Underweight |
| 18.5 – 24.9 | 136.4 – 183.6 lbs | Normal |
| 25.0 – 29.9 | 184.4 – 220.5 lbs | Overweight |
| 30.0 – 34.9 | 221.2 – 257.4 lbs | Obese (moderate) |
| 35.0 – 39.9 | 258.1 – 294.2 lbs | Obese (severe) |
| 40.0 and Above | 295.0 lbs and Above | Obese (very severe) |
If you’re 20 years or older, its the same for men and women. Here’s a BMI Calculator for those under 20. If you ain’t feeling this math or the BMI thing, don’t worry – I crunched the numbers and made this reference chart.
Weight Chart, Over 20 years old
| Height | Normal Weight Range | Obese |
| 5 ft, 0 inches | 94.7 – 127.7 lbs | 153.3 or more |
| 5 ft, 1 inches | 97.9 – 132.0 lbs | 158.5 or more |
| 5 ft, 2 inches | 101.1 – 136.4 lbs | 163.7 or more |
| 5 ft, 3 inches | 104.4 – 140.8 lbs | 169.0 or more |
| 5 ft, 4 inches | 107.7 – 145.3 lbs | 174.5 or more |
| 5 ft, 5 inches | 111.1 – 149.9 lbs | 179.9 or more |
| 5 ft, 6 inches | 114.6 – 154.5 lbs | 185.5 or more |
| 5 ft, 7 inches | 118.1 – 159.3 lbs | 191.2 or more |
| 5 ft, 8 inches | 121.6 – 164.1 lbs | 196.9 or more |
| 5 ft, 9 inches | 125.2 – 168.9 lbs | 202.8 or more |
| 5 ft, 10 inches | 128.9 – 173.8 lbs | 208.7 or more |
| 5 ft, 11 inches | 132.6 – 178.9 lbs | 214.7 or more |
| 6 ft, 0 inches | 136.4 – 183.9 lbs | 220.8 or more |
| 6 ft, 1 inches | 140.2 – 189.1 lbs | 227.0 or more |
| 6 ft, 2 inches | 144.1 – 194.3 lbs | 233.2 or more |
| 6 ft, 3 inches | 148.0 – 199.6 lbs | 239.6 or more |
| 6 ft, 4 inches | 152.0 – 204.9 lbs | 246.0 or more |
| 6 ft, 5 inches | 156.0 – 210.4 lbs | 252.5 or more |
| 6 ft, 6 inches | 160.1 – 215.9 lbs | 259.1 or more |
| 6 ft, 7 inches | 164.2 – 221.4 lbs | 265.8 or more |
| 6 ft, 8 inches | 168.4 – 227.1 lbs | 272.6 or more |
Notes:
I’m not sure I trust CDC entirely. This 2006 CDC study said no change in American obesity since 2003-2004. But by their own numbers, obesity went up 2% overall, almost a 7% increase (males up 7.1% from 31.1% to 33.3%, females up 6.3% from 33.2% to 35.3%). At that rate the number of obese people will more than double in 11 years. Yes, no-increase means double in 11 years. Hello? Is this the new Bush-Era Science?