Good News, I'm Not Going to Die!

At least not because of my weight. Though overweight, according to the Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation, I have a lower risk of death than people of "normal" weight (that would be a lower risk of death at any given moment, of course; eventually we all have the same risk of death). In fact, according to the chart, I am in the best grouping, with a lower risk of death than not only normal people but also those who are "underweight," "obese," and "extremely obese" (it seems this would have been a good place for the term "morbidly obese").

I've always wondered about these charts and formulas that determine who is normal weight and who is thin or overweight. Though at 225 pounds I'm not light, I'm also tall and most people describe me as thin. I would have to lose 20 pounds to reach normal weight. I don't even want to consider what my diet would have to consist of for me lose 20 pounds. Probably have to give up fatty and greasy food and alcohol. As the old joke goes, I wouldn't really live longer on that kind of diet; it would just seem like it.