Actually, the BMI suggestions are profoundly out of step with cardiovascular risk and mortality risk data. So-called "overweight" BMI ranges are associated wit

Actually, the BMI suggestions are profoundly out of step with cardiovascular risk and mortality risk data. So-called "overweight" BMI ranges are associated with the lowest risks. http://scienceblogs.com/purepedantry/2006/08/bmi_is_not_a_good_predictor_of.php http://scienceblogs.com/purepedantry/2006/08/bmi_is_not_a_go... "We found 40 studies with 250,152 patients that had a mean follow-up of 3·8 years. Patients with a low body-mass index (BMI) (ie, <20) had an increased relative risk (RR) for total mortality (RR=1.37 [95% CI 1.32-1.43), and cardiovascular mortality (1.45 [1.16-1.81]), overweight (BMI 25-29.9) had the lowest risk for total mortality (0.87 [0.81-0.94]) and cardiovascular mortality (0.88 [0.75-1.02]) compared with those for people with a normal BMI. Obese patients (BMI 30-35) had no increased risk for total mortality (0.93 [0.85-1.03]) or cardiovascular mortality (0.97 [0.82-1.15]). Patients with severe obesity (>35) did not have increased total mortality (1.10 [0.87-1.41]) but they had the highest risk for cardiovascular mortality (1.88 [1.05-3.34])."