More is Not Always Better

Every blue moon, I catch The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, and this week, I caught a segment on dieting.  Mike and Juliet reported that on Monday, the National Center for Health released new numbers on the health of Americans, and the numbers are not good!

There are now more obese people in this country than there are just plain overweight people!  Yikes!!  34% of the population is obese - that's 72 million obese people in this country!  Overweight people make up 33% of Americans, and 33% are of average/normal body mass.  Isn't it amazing how a society as obsessed with looking good can be so freakin' fat?  

So what makes you obese versus overweight?  Your Body Mass Index - take your weight, divide by your height and square it.  25-30 means you're simply overweight, while 30 and above means you're obese.  Very simply, it's all about how much fat you have.  Do keep in mind that it is only one number to look at - it's possible that body builders and other muscular athletes might be labeled overweight by their BMI (muscle does weight more than fat).  And BMI does not factor in is where your fat is - belly fat is much more dangerous than the awesome butt/hip/thigh fat I have going on.  Tis better to be a pear than an apple!

All kidding aside, keep in mind the higher your number, the higher your risk for health problems, such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.  Because it's not just about lookin' cute in a bikini this summer.