Healthy BMIs
Based on a study
done a few years back, The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) suggested “that people
who are modestly overweight actually have a lower
risk of death than those of normal weight.” The CDC's
suggestion implied that, in general, people with a
BMI greater than 25 may generally be healthier than
people whose BMI is lower than 25. However,
subsequent studies have indicated that BMIs in the
range of 20 to 24.9 are usually the healthiest BMIs.
The NIH classifies body weight as follows: A normal weight BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. Overweight is between 25 and 29.9. A BMI between 29.9 and 39.9 is designated as obesity. And a BMI of 40 or more is considered to be extreme obesity.
A study done in Australia and the Netherlands looked at 246,000 subjects. At first the data indicated that the healthiest BMI range agreed with the CDC’s findings -- something above 25. However, "after adjusting their findings to exclude people with preexisting illnesses and smokers—two groups that tend to have lower body weights despite their poor health—the study authors found BMIs at the high end of 'normal' had lower mortality rates than people in the 'overweight' category."
Indeed, one of the most common chronic illnesses is hypertension. It’s associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Well, one study concluded that "Being as lean as possible within the normal body mass index range may be the best suggestion in relation to primary prevention of hypertension." So being lean, not overweight, is the healthier state -- at least for hypertension.
Healthcare providers should push back on the idea that BMIs greater than 25, in general, are healthier than BMIs between 20 and 24.9, except in special cases. Very muscular individuals, for example, may have a higher body weight for their height than normal, but still be healthy. Further, these more muscular individuals could be healthier than someone of normal BMI. However, in most instances, a BMI between 20 and 24.9 is desirable for good health.
The NIH classifies body weight as follows: A normal weight BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. Overweight is between 25 and 29.9. A BMI between 29.9 and 39.9 is designated as obesity. And a BMI of 40 or more is considered to be extreme obesity.
A study done in Australia and the Netherlands looked at 246,000 subjects. At first the data indicated that the healthiest BMI range agreed with the CDC’s findings -- something above 25. However, "after adjusting their findings to exclude people with preexisting illnesses and smokers—two groups that tend to have lower body weights despite their poor health—the study authors found BMIs at the high end of 'normal' had lower mortality rates than people in the 'overweight' category."
Indeed, one of the most common chronic illnesses is hypertension. It’s associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Well, one study concluded that "Being as lean as possible within the normal body mass index range may be the best suggestion in relation to primary prevention of hypertension." So being lean, not overweight, is the healthier state -- at least for hypertension.
Healthcare providers should push back on the idea that BMIs greater than 25, in general, are healthier than BMIs between 20 and 24.9, except in special cases. Very muscular individuals, for example, may have a higher body weight for their height than normal, but still be healthy. Further, these more muscular individuals could be healthier than someone of normal BMI. However, in most instances, a BMI between 20 and 24.9 is desirable for good health.
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