Life At Slow-Mo

On September 10, 2022, my result was 78.60 kg (173.28 lbs). These are my results a week later.

Item	Measurement September 17, 2022	Measurement, January 24, 2022	Healthy Standard1
Weight2	77.80 (171.51 lbs)	98.7 Kg (217.6 lbs)	55.3-68.0 kg (121.9-149.9 lbs)
BMI2	28.5 (Overweight)	36.2 (Obese)	18.5-24.9
Waist (circumference)3	99 cm (38.97 in)	122 cm (48.03 in)	< 102 cm (40 in)
Hip (circumference)3	105 cm (41.33 in)	120 cm (47.24 in)	
Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR)	0.94	1.01	< 0.9
Blood Pressure4  (Systolic/Diastolic)	107 mmHg/ 78 mm Hg	137mmHg/ 95 mmHg	110/70 mmHg- 145/90 mmHg
Visceral Fat	14	17	<9

I routinely post every 1 kg or so weight loss progress on my Facebook. My friend commented incredulously, “Are you still categorized as Obese? Even with that much weight loss? Really?” I was a bit confused with the question. “Of course,” I replied, “I would be ‘Normal’ when my BMI is under 25.” I forgot that between ‘Normal’ and ‘Obese’ there is another range called ‘Overweight’.

I did not notice the small print underneath the weight reading in my Zepp application. I just realized about two days ago that it had changed from ‘Obese’ to ‘Overweight’. Tracing it back, it has been like that since the end of July, when my BMI became lower than 30.

BMI is Body Mass Index. It’s a number that you get from a formula, using your weight in kilograms and your height in meters as input. It is supposed to let you know whether you carry too much, too little, or just the right weight.

BMI	Nutritional Status
Less than 18.5	Underweight
18.5 – 24.9	Normal weight
25.0 – 29.9	Overweight
30.0 – 34.9	Obese, Class 1
35.0 – 39.9	Obese, Class 2
40 or higher	Obese, Class 3 (or Severe Obesity)

BMI is good as a rough guide to measure the health level of a population related to body weight. But it is actually no good when it comes to individuals because each person has a different degree of fatness. BMI doesn’t differentiate between the weight that comes from muscle and fat. A younger man whose body fat makes 10% of his total weight, which is considered healthy, may have the same BMI as another man with 30% body fat (which is a bad situation) if they have similar weight and height.

However, when you’re over 40 like me, lead a sedentary life, and have more than 21% body fat, then we should pay attention to BMI.

The Transit Point

Alright, I have passed the bar from Obese to Overweight. What is so special about it?

The short answer is nothing.

When it comes to assessing risk and formulating preventive actions, health organizations clump together the Overweight and Obese into one big group. They are both facing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, and some cancers. The difference is in the level of risk. The overweight may have it at a lower level than the obese. That doesn’t mean the risk level becomes significantly lower as soon as you cross the BMI from 30.0 to 29.9. The point is it is good for your overall health to lose weight. It is good to change from being obese to overweight, and it is even better to change from overweight to normal.

Reaching overweight status is like a halfway point. A transit, if you will, before continuing until the end of the journey.

According to CDC BMI Calculator, I will be in the healthy weight range when I am 67.9 kg or less. So from where I am standing now, I am 9.9 kilograms away from my healthy weight. Unless I am able to reduce my body fat to under 21% and my visceral fat to less than 9. By then, even if my BMI has not reached a normal range, I can still be considered healthy.

And the adventure continues.