It’s no wonder we have a warped idea of what a healthy weight should be. Open any magazine and take a look at the models, especially the female models. Often they are so thin that you can see their bones protruding. However when you look up from your magazine and take a look at the real people around you you find the exact opposite of what's on the glossy pages. Greater than two of every three Americans are overweight meaning they have a BMI over 25, and of this overweight population, half of the individuals are obese meaning they have a BMI over 30. 

BMI is a number based on an individual’s height and weight, and falling within a healthy range is one marker of health. There are many other ways to determine health such as waist circumference, how your clothes fit and lab values. The lab values your physician checks at your annual check-up are a great indicator of health. However even having values such as blood glucose and cholesterol that fall in a normal range does not mean you are in the clear if you are carrying around too much excess fat. Being overweight increases your chances of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, heart disease and some cancers.