Am I Healthy/Overweight/Obese??

[vertical_sky]

I recently started going to a gym, and after looking at the measurements they came up with, I'm more confused about whether I'm healthy or not than ever.

I'm 5'1" and about 122 pounds. My dimensions are bust: 35 1/2, waist: 32 1/4, and hips 36 3/4.

My body fat was supposedly at 30%! The way they measured it is with one of these ([url=http://www.bigfitness.com/bofatan.html]Omron Body Fat Analyzer[/url].) However, I read up on it online, and several posts mention how if you are large chested (which I am naturally, anywhere from a 36C to a 32DD depending on the bra) it throws off the percentage.

The body fat has me at quite obese. BMI depending on the reference chart has me anywhere from healthy to slightly overweight. But my dimensions seem pretty normal for someone my size and body build. Hip to waist ratio tells me I am an "apple shape," but when I look online, that isn't how I look at all! ([url]http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a70/vertical_sky/7018_621847131796_59500104_37357263_25885_n.jpg[/url])

How in the world do I make sense of all that? Am I missing something?

Thanks for any help!

[Sonrisa]

well you are not obese for sure! i don't believe in labels period. all that matters is that you are an attractive young woman.

i am 5'7" and 130 lbs and my body fat is 28%

[Sonrisa]

and....i love Avatar the Last Airbender!

[Sonrisa]

The average body fat percentage for U.S. females is around 32%, with the ideal at 22%. Athletic females should be around 15-20%.

so that puts us both at an average american female weight. not sure if that's a positive fact though

[Sonrisa]

weight is Normal (18.5 - 24.9)

[url=http://www.livestrong.com/tools/body-mass-calculator/]Body Mass Index | LIVESTRONG.COM[/url]

[vertical_sky]

Well here's also something interesting... Women need 17-22% body fat to conceive/menstruate. And it seems that body shapes are just inherent... so even if I lost tons of weight and body fat, I'm STILL going to have the same dimensions, which means I'll STILL be at risk for things like heart disease and diabetes.

It kind of makes me want to curl up in the corner with a box of Oreos. Who freaking decided all this stuff, anyway?

[Boisdevie]

Physically you are OK - according to my BMI calculator you're at the top end of average. As long as you don't put any weight on as you get older you should be OK.

[vashti]

whether or not you are obese is almost a subjective opinion. At work, when I am charting on patients, I notice that someone who looks normal to me has been called obese by someone else. You look fine to me, (hard to tell on one picture) but you will have to be careful about developing central obesity, which is much harder on the organs than carrying your weight on your bottom.

I don't think you should put a lot of faith in systems that do not take your muscle or body type into consideration. If you've had your body fat actually measured, that is your most reliable guide.

[Ryan Heitzman]

Sounds like your fine. I have about the same percent body fat. Body mass indexs are not as good as they say they are in my opinion. I mean I'm 5'9 with an extra large bone frame and should weigh around 205 lbs. Right now I'm around 223 lbs.

[doppelgaenger]

You're definitely not obese, but you could certainly get into better shape. I'd say you're pretty average.

[Yet another guy]

I wouldn't say you are overweight at all. BMI is not a useful metric for anything. Well okay, if it says someone is morbidly obese, she probably is quite fat but "normal to overweight" doesn't tell anything. I checked out your photo; You are hot

[blackman]

workout dude

[Gratedwasabi]

Sounds like your fine. I have about the same percent body fat. Body mass indexs are not as good as they say they are in my opinion. I mean I'm 5'9 with an extra large bone frame and should weigh around 205 lbs. Right now I'm around 223 lbs.

Ryan, women generally run more then twice the body fat % of men to be healthy. My body fat, for example, is about 9% and I'm very athletic. 6'0, 180. So you're fat, dude.

Vertical, you're definitely in the healthy range although I'd say you could stand to tone up a bit. If you can slim up a bit on your waist, neck, and arms (doing some weight lifting to tone instead of just trying to lose weight could work fantastically for you!) you'll be a freaking knock out.

Your body fat % is going to be deceptive, you have, to be frank, huge boobs for your height and boobs are fat; thusly an inaccurate result. You're probably adding as much as 3 or 4 % from your boobs being so large, so more accurately I'd say you're 27% body fat.

I'd really suggest you work on toning more then losing weight. Your arms and lack of definement in your torso are the biggest flaws I see and that can be solved by firming up. A bit of muscle goes well on a woman's body; not like you can actually see muscles but things firm up and take a more exacting shape.

You have a lot of potential; your legs are very nice and your shape would be extremely womanly if you toned and curved up a bit. You have no reason to be concerned about your looks; I'd sleep with you, multiple times, as you are now and I'm picky! But goals are good.

[Illusional]

haha... i love how everyone tries to butter up the author. in reality, do you think that you are fat??? i'm going to guess that you not of asian background, which makes up for your difference in body types. honestly in my eyes, i'd consider you fat, but i have a different outlook on that. personally im into stick asian chicks which is where our differences exists.


raverboy

[red_sparrow]

that's not bad.

I'm 5'2 and about a 120 as well and i see myself as completely fine.