This is a serious national health concern, as obesity has been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even certain forms of cancer. Any one male or female with a BMI of 25 or greater is considered overweight, and anyone with a BMI higher than 30 is obese. Runners, of course, have always been concerned with their weight. At the same time, the fact is that many runners despite consistent training over many years will never resemble those skinny elite athletes who line up at the front in the worlds most competitive races. The BMI guidelines should be used as just that guidelines, says Glenn Gaesser, Ph.D., associate professor of exercise physiology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
People can assess in a matter of seconds if they're active enough or eat too much.
I think its ridiculous to focus totally on weight and weight loss. Steven Blair, Ed.D., of the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas, agrees. Fitness, not fatness, is the more important issue, he says. If you are running primarily to lose weight, let the exercise do its work gradually. Eat consciously, without being too restrictive.