For years I’ve been frustrated with my weight. I exercise frequently, run 
multiple marathons a year, log thousands of training miles and yet my BMI still tells me I’m in the “overweight” category. I just don’t know how it’s possible.
What is your BMI
According to this BMI calculator, my “normal” weight should be 186 lbs at most. This puts me at a BMI of 24.9 and just out of the “overweight” category. How is it possible?
But here is a story about some research that suggests losing weight would not be good for my goal to live to 107. In fact, it turns out that I am at an ideal weight for living a long life.
In this study, people with an “overweight” BMI (25 to 29.9) had a 17% lower risk of dying during the 12-year study period, than people with “normal” BMIs.
Slightly overweight people had a lower risk of death than normal weight people
Lose weight?
So, now I’m left to wonder about weight. For most people, losing a few pounds is a good idea. But should I lose a few pounds to get to that magic BMI level or should I just try to maintain where I’m at?
I dunno.
But I do know that being heavier makes it harder to run faster, so if I want to get faster, I’ve got to get lighter. If I don’t however, I won’t worry that my weight will result in missing my goal to live until November 11, 2076. It turns out, it won’t.
Do you worry about your weight? What do you think of this new research?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Take any study like that with a grain of salt. There are so many factors that go into health, it’s extremely difficult to isolate a single cause. Despite doctors telling us for the last 10 years that drinking red wine is good for you, some scientists are saying that the studies didn’t isolate the variables well enough. ie., people who drink wine are more likely to be educated, have money, and live healthier life style – the wine may have nothing to do with it.
Good point Phil. I do look at studies like this (especially with self-reported data) very skeptically.
Of course, this isn’t the first time I’ve heard a suggestion that as you get older it might be worth while to be a little overweight. It seems older people have a hard time keeping their weight up and a little extra might be just the boost they need.
But I don’t know. Things like this are always much more complicated than the headlines or a single study will suggest
I want to lose a few more pounds, but I’m pretty sure that BMI thing is not very accurate.
I personally think this is great news; true or not, I’m going with it!!!!!! Seriously, I’m not sure about this BMI business. I really think it depends on your body shape. For those of us who are built naturally with a thick middle, the BMI is really skewed. I believe if you are overweight you know it. More importantly, eating healthy and exercising are the way to go.
I don’t think the BMI rules necessarily apply to athletes with a lot of muscle mass (like yourself). You should just watch your fat percentage.
Hello,
Did you see that show on Oprah…It said that people can live substantially longer by keeping a calorie restricted diet. It switches on a survival gene or something. Fascinating…but I wonder about quality of life when you are eating wheat grass all day instead having a cheeseburger….(Ben and Jerry’s may be worth a shorter life span)
Your quality of life from a restricted calorie diet wouldn’t be so great. Low energy, low sex drive, crabbiness, etc. But there are some people who try it. Scientists are working on finding the proteins involved so that you can get the benefits without the downside.