Am I really over weight?

MellMel1983

I recently turned the Big 40. I decided to check my BMI and it said I was overweight. Bmi of 26 yet according to the statistics I'm supposed to be at a BMI OF 25. I'm 40 yrs old,weight of 130= BMI 26 AM I REALLY OVER WEIGHT?

AnnPT77

Probably a bit, but ask your doctor.

The normal BMI range encompasses a good weight for most people, but not all. It's intended to be used for population level statistics, or as a medical screener for individuals to identify who might need a closer look at body composition. It's not intended as a strict definition that fits everyone, though, even though some entities (like insurance companies) use it that way.

You look like you're female. It's possible, but quite unusual, for a woman to be above the normal BMI range, but not be overweight from a body fat percent perspective. (It's a little more common in men to have an ideal body weight just over the line into overweight, because they carry more muscle mass on average than women do.)

Being slightly overweight isn't a major health threat for most, though, and can be more healthful (statistically speaking) than being too thin.

If you're concerned about it health-wise, talk with your doctor about your body weight in context of your full health history. You can also look at other statistical measures, such as height to waist circumference or online "Navy Body Fat Calculator" sites.

If you feel good, have good health markers (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar/A1C and that sort of thing), and like the way you look, I wouldn't worry about it, personally. Probably good to avoid further gain, though, and get good overall nutrition plus some strength and cardiovascular exercise for best health, if you aren't already.

Best wishes!

cmriverside

BMI is just a math equation, don't read too much into it.

It's used for some insurance questions and for some medication dosing but you are the judge of whether or not you feel or look over-weight.

I'm an older female. My BMI is now 21-22. When I first hit the top of my healthy BMI after losing 65 pounds I thought, "Perfect! I don't need to lose any more weight. I'm at just under 25 BMI." After a few months I decided that yes, I did need to lose some more weight and so I lost 15 more pounds to put me right in the middle of the healthy weight range for my height. I feel and look a whole lot better here. I didn't or couldn't see it when I was heavier. There's a weird disconnect between reality and what a lot of us see in the mirror. I'm glad I lost that additional 15 pounds.

mtaratoot

The Body Mass Index was intended to look at populations, not individuals. It's still a reasonably good metric. Most likely you would be considered overweight with a BMI of 26. Be aware, too, that BMI doesn't account for general differences between men and women; women tend to be less massive for a given height, so one might expect that a woman could be overweight even if their BMI was less than 24.9

Another calculator that takes a little more into consideration (age, gender, Asian heritage) is the Smart BMI. You might check that out.

A third metric is your Waist to Hip Ratio. Get a tailor's tape and measure your waist (usually near your belly button). Then measure your hips at the widest point. Divide waist measurement by hip measurement to get your ratio. For women, a waist to hip ratio less than 0.80 is healthy; between 0.80 and 0.84 is overweight, and a ratio of 0.85 or more defines abdominal obesity.