Defining a healthy weight?

[CallmeGoose]

How do you define a healthy weight? Someone just came up to me and said that i'm "overweight". He came to this conclusion after "seeing a photo of me from many years ago, and comparing me to that"?? of course I am going to have put on some weight in 6 years. Now at 26 I weigh approx 15st 10lbs, im fairly well built and I've always been conscious of my weight, but ive never considered myself to be overweight. Im not a believer in this BMI pish, because that doesnt take into account everyones build, and provides a generic figure. I admit I could lose a few pounds here and there, but I've never been a fan of exercise. Working offshore, you just dont have the time to go to the gym after your watch, you just want to hit the hay, at home you just want to relax and enjoy your time off. I dont eat crap, ie . stuff my face with chocolate and fizzy drinks, and I dont drink a lot of alcohol, mainly as its banned from offshore vessels, infact I consider myself to be a farely healthy eater. This guy who I have ranted about in the whine cellar, you can guess who that might be, nearly got a fist in his face for his comment - funny as he is a big fat russian fucker. So fuck it heres to having a beer and a curry once in a blue moon

[Mario87]

Someone with a decent weight should have a body fat percentage of 10-15% IIRC. If your body fat percentage is good then your actual weight means nothing.

A guy that works with my brother is pure muscle and has just 10% body fat. According to his BMI he is "morbidly obese" which is a load of bollocks. Body fat percentage is what you should try to keep to a safe healthy limit.

[CallmeGoose]

exactly, BMI doesn't take into account bone structure or muscle; it's just pretty much weight vs. height. According to this NHS chart, im "overweight", but it does say, for some people it may not be suitable as having lots of muscle may put you in the overweight or obese categories, even if you have little body fat.

[Mario87]

That's it mate, if you want to know if you are truley overweight then go to the doctors and get them to check your body fat percentage with a set of calipers. You also get digital meters that send a small electrical pulse through your body and determines body fat, water content, etc, etc. However sweaty hands, or eating before you go on, etc can effect those. Proper calipers by a trained professional would be the best way to get your body fat checked IMO.

[CallmeGoose]

cool, im going to go when I get back from being offshore. Most of these online fat % checkers are saying im 23% body fat, hmmm. Best to checked by a professional and then worry/take a course of action.

[B.I.G.]

Have any of you seen the things the send to the parents of children now where they weight and measure them? One of my lads is in primary school and all he does in his spare time all day every day is play football there is not a pick of fat on him and yet the letter from school said he's obese.I won't show him it but these charts don't half give off the wrong impression especially to the young.

[CallmeGoose]

yeah think i seen something in the paper about a school sending a 5 year old a letter claiming he was clinically obese, and yet there was nothing on him!