I posted this graph six years ago and have since used it 100’s of times to illustrate a pretty mind boggling fact. Bypassing all the problems obesity causes, this graph gets to the one big fact. It puts in a simple way the personal cost of carrying to much weight on your life expectancy. There is a reason when a patient comes in for a checkup that I first do their height and weight. The simple calculation of Basal Metabolic Index (BMI), while it is far from a perfect measure, is a good starting pointer to many potential health issues – hypertension, diabetes, osteoarthritis etc. Attention 30 year olds – if your BMI is over 45 you will lose 21 years of life.
