Originally Posted by aadhils
Scientists at the National Institutes of health have determined that a BMI under 18.5 is considered very low risk for heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, 18.5 to 24.9 is low risk, 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight and high risk, and 30 or above is considered obese and very high risk.
(I got this info from the book 'The Lance Armstrong Performance Program' pg. 123).
Actually, below 18.5 is UNDERWEIGHT, and there hasn't been much research done on the effects of being underweight, because it is such a small proportion of the population. But there is some evidence that underweight people are slightly more likely to die prematurely. I read this in an article in Scientific American this past month, but I can't find the link right now.