Nutrition Action Healthletter



July 1999 — U.S. Edition

Last year, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) redefined “overweight” and “obese,” based on body mass index, or BMI. (Using the old definitions, one in three Americans was overweight or obese. Now it’s one in two.)
The numbers apply to both men and women, but they’re not foolproof. Some very muscular people may have a high BMI without health risks. And a waist that’s larger than 40 inches in men or 35 inches in women means an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems, no matter what your BMI.

Back to ‘Ten Tips for Staying Lean’

(To calculate your BMI: Find your height, then look across that row. Your BMI is at the top of the column that contains your weight.)

4'10"	91	96	100	105	110	115
4'11"	94	99	104	109	114	119
5'0"	97	102	107	112	118	123
5'1"	100	106	111	116	122	127
5'2"	104	109	115	120	126	131
5'3"	107	113	118	124	130	135
5'4"	110	116	122	128	134	140
5'5"	114	120	126	132	138	144
5'6"	118	124	130	136	142	148
5'7"	121	127	134	140	146	153
5'8"	125	131	138	144	151	158
5'9"	128	135	142	149	155	162
5'10"	132	139	146	153	160	167
5'11"	136	143	150	157	165	172
6'0"	140	147	154	162	169	177
6'1"	144	151	159	166	174	182
6'2"	148	155	163	171	179	186
6'3"	152	160	168	176	184	192
6'4"	156	164	172	180	189	197
N O R M A L

119	124	129	134	138
124	128	133	138	143
128	133	138	143	148
132	137	143	148	153
136	142	147	153	158
141	146	152	158	163
145	151	157	163	169
150	156	162	168	174
155	161	167	173	179
159	166	172	178	185
164	171	177	184	190
169	176	182	189	196
174	181	188	195	202
179	186	193	200	208
184	191	199	206	213
189	197	204	212	219
194	202	210	218	225
200	208	216	224	232
205	213	221	230	238
OVERWEIGHT

143	167	191
148	173	198
153	179	204
158	185	211
164	191	218
169	197	225
174	204	232
180	210	240
186	216	247
191	223	255
197	230	262
203	236	270
207	243	278
215	250	286
221	258	294
227	265	302
233	272	311
240	279	319
246	287	328
OBESE