The Lethal Danger of Being Fat:
Excess weight has a dramatic impact on one's health. The BMI
(body mass index) is a way to measure your disease risk based
on your height to weight ratio. People with a BMI of 25 to 29
are considered overweight and those with a BMI of 30 or more
are considered obese. 

My BMI was 55, I was Extremely Obese, it is now 27.
I have lost 179 lbs.

BMI INDEX
less than 18.5 Underweight
18.5 - 24.9 Normal
25.0 - 29.9 Overweight
30.0 - 34.9 Obese
35.0 - 39.9 Severely Obese
40.0 - 50.0 Morbidly Obese
Over 50.0 Super Obese

Using The BMI To Assess Your Health Status:

Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death. Overweight
and obesity are known risk factors for diabetes, heart disease, stroke,
hypertension, arthritis, sleep apnea, and some forms of cancer (uterine,
breast, colorectal, kidney, prostate, pancreatic and gallbladder).

Obesity is associated with stress, incontinence, menstrual irregularities,
excess facial hair, increased surgical risk, and psychological disorders
such as depression.

The most common medical assessment of obesity is the "body mass index" or
BMI.  The BMI is a calculation of weight that takes height into account.

Epidemiological evidence supports the notion that the BMI associated with
the lowest mortality falls within the range of 18.5-24.9, showing that
thinner people live much longer (Baird 1994; Stevens 2000). The majority
of adults in the United States are overweight (BMI over 25), with an
increasing number being medically classified as obese (BMI over 30).
Unfortunately, the trend is increasing. The prevalence of obesity in the
United States has almost doubled compared to the year 1980 (NIH 1998;
WHO 1998).