<p>Obesity and overweight are calculated using a formula called body mass index. BMI is equal to weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Someone with a BMI of 25 to 29 is classified as overweight, 30 to 40 counts as obese and people with BMIs of 40 or more are morbidly obese.</p>
<p>simple conversion 1 inch = 0.0254 meters, 1 lb = 0.454 kg. So the formula would be</p>
<p>BMI = Wt in kg/(Height in m)**2</p>
<p>or </p>
<p>BMI = 703.7* Wt in lbs/(Height in inches**2)</p>
<p>Is there a BMI-like index for pets? Here in Seattle I do not see too many obese folks, but it is very common to see a thin young lady walking a barrel-on-four-legs dog.</p>
<p>I would tend to agree with you. The people I have seen in WA, ID and WY are not fat. May be more outdoor activities. (I saw lot more smokers in Seattle though)</p>
<p>I’m not surprised. My BMI hovers around 30. I lost some weight a few years ago to drop to just overweight, but it has crept back up. I suspect those of you who don’t see it may not realize what obese looks like; most of my friends would not say I am obese. Or perhaps WA is just full of healthy people!</p>
<p>simba, I do see more smokers in Seattle now since the passage of the new law prohibiting smoking in bars and other establishments. The smokers are more visible because they have to feed their habit on a sidewalk.</p>
<p>mamabear, I think BMI can be misleading. Miscle tissue is more dense than fat, so wide-boned muscular people can have an artificially high BMI while being lean. I know a nice young lady who has a BMI of 23-24 (high end of the “normal”), but she is muscular, skinny and has a to die for six-pack abdomen. As far as WA being full of healthy people, I think Seattle made a list of top ten fittest cities in the US a year or so ago (I could be off, but I’m too lazy to google it).</p>
<p>I’m with BunsenBurner in that BMI is misleading. My BMI is 23ish because I’m 6’3" and 190 pounds. However, I’m not borderline overweight as my BMI suggests. I’m actually quite lean with a broad frame.</p>
<p>Foreman, if BMI is used to calculate the number of people who are overweight and obese, then the discrepancy between your own observations and the numbers is likely due to the misleading nature of BMI calculations.</p>
<p>“As far as WA being full of healthy people, I think Seattle made a list of top ten fittest cities in the US a year or so ago (I could be off, but I’m too lazy to google it).”</p>
<p>What I have observed is that in Seattle lot more people take public transit, and I think transit system is excellent. When one takes transit they have to walk at both ends. My son had a 74 year old land lady. She did not own a car for the past 30 years - walk or bus. Walking in Freemont or Queen Anne or U district ain’t that easy. You get healthy dose of cardio every day.</p>
<p>BMI is an imperfect measure on an individual level (especially for men). The fact it’s increasing on a societal is nothing less than unfortunate.</p>
<p>We don’t see too much of the weight issue in my area, for some reason, except among my husband’s coworkers. I wonder why that is since they get so much exercise, but they’re a very large group.</p>
<p>Anyway, we went to Hersey Park last year and I was stunned by the fact that most of the people we saw were at least overweight, particularly children and teenagers. I found it so sad and striking that I haven’t forgotten.</p>
<p>We don’t see too many obese people around here either. Perhaps the warm weather and less bulky clothing make people think twice about eating that donut? Most people I know work out at the gym or at least talk about getting into a workout routine. Today was a lovely day, sunny and 75 degrees. Many people around here were outside running, cycling and walking their dogs. That said, I have been googling quicky diets to try to lose my holiday 5 pounds!</p>