BMI approaching obese

You can't possibly say that everyone who weighs 7 stone has an eating disorder!

13 stone is pretty fucking hefty for a muscular 6 foot bloke. Why do people on MN think it's okish for a mid-height woman?

I've just checked the numbers for a 13 stone, 6 foot male (age 30, white ethnicity, for example) in the NHS BMI checker and it came through as the top end of a healthy weight, hardly 'pretty fucking hefty'.

I'm the same height and weight as you OP.
I've lost a few lbs coming back from holiday and now need to keep it up.

However I have a very slim teen who is on the first centile for weight and under a dietitian.

It's a real battle trying to get her up to a healthy weight with lots of lovely tempting things in the fridge, and at the same time get mine down - without making any fuss about it.

But you are wrong. BMI absolutely does take into account different body shapes. The healthy range is something like 19-25, so you can be healthy at 19 with a very slim build, and healthy at 25 with a chunkier build. Do you understand what ‘range’ means? Clearly not.

*18

You should aim to be about 91/2 stone for your height. Size 14 is probably really a 16 or 16 now.
ps I’m overweight too. Menopause hit hard and my normally high metabolism is gone !

8 stone 10 at 5"8' is bmi 18.5 = healthy range.
According to NHS BMI checker.

That’s my point @CharlotteBog - we say it’s a range and accounts for everyone when someone goes over the top of that range, but want to ignore it when someone goes out the bottom. 8 stone 10 is underweight by BMI when you’re 5’8 - which I know because I’m 5’8. And well the whole range isn’t healthy for everyone - my BMI is currently 24, and despite being healthy on paper I am definitely a stone overweight for my build!

For many it is they know they are overweight, the issue ia not knowing HOW much. Denial is a beautiful and dangerous thing. At least in my case was

This is well expressed.

How did you lose the 15 kilos relatively quickly? I’d like to do the same!

Lots of people assume obese means extremely large and unable to do everyday things like fit in plane seats as you refer to OP, but that's not the case at all. BMI isn't perfect by any stretch but generally if its saying you're nearly obese then you are overweight at the very least and it's worth assessing your diet and activity levels.

So @Galiana BMI is a good measure of health until we’re talking about the bottom end? 8 stone 10 is below the bottom end of healthy. It’s my height, I’ve seen the photos of myself looking scrawny, after the event, when at the time I thought I just looked slim. Handily ignoring the fact I couldn’t ever get warm.

And that's why there is a range. I am at the very bottom of the healthy range - have been all my adult life. It's what right for me. I do not look at all scrawny, I am very slim but because I exercise a lot I am pretty muscular and toned.

Obesity is not an asthetic description. It isn't the bottom end of some sort of attractiveness scale. It isn't a personality trait. It's a piece of information about the possible impact of your current weight on your health.
Finding out that you're almost in the category where your weight could cause health issues hasn't suddenly changed your appearance or character. If you felt OK about yourself before, then you still should.
Its entirely possible you look lovely and given everyone is bigger, comparatively slim. You are no lazier, lacking in will power or whatever other negative cliche than you ever were. All that's happened is you have this health information.
Its entirely up to you what you so with it.
You could decide to ignore it, as so many people do who's health would benefit by losing weight. Or drinking less, stopping smoking, eating more veg, excercising, reducing stress....Or you could decide to try to address it.
Either way you need to keep perspective. Its one area of your life not your defining characteristic.

If you are approaching the obese BMI please get some proper evidence based support. A dietitian that looks at food as a whole and will support you to make sustainable changes which promote health rather than demonise foods or behaviour.

I am slowly but surely approaching obese range from the morbid side. I wish I had addressed my issue from the overweight side rather than trying to do it this side.

I'm using Slimfast currently (before anyone says it's not good for you I KNOW, but I wanted to get some weight off urgently) and it's worked so far, I've lost 5lbs in a month and I feel less bloated. Hopefully it works for you too.

I weigh 9 stone 10 and am 5"5. Size 8. Old clothes size 12

I read a thread yesterday where someone commented that overweight people knew they were overweight. I don't think that's true. As our sizes have increased it's become normalised. I'm currently a size 8. I have a skirt (from principles) that I bought 26 years ago. It only just fits. It's a size 12. People think BMI is bollocks but only when they don't like what it says. Unless you are an elite athlete with visible muscle it's a fair measure IMHO.

So @Galiana BMI is a good measure of health until we’re talking about the bottom end? 8 stone 10 is below the bottom end of healthy. It’s my height, I’ve seen the photos of myself looking scrawny, after the event, when at the time I thought I just looked slim. Handily ignoring the fact I couldn’t ever get warm.

Absolutely this

Im find this thread more and more bizarre, OP started a query about not realising that her weight would be obese and just like the majority of the population, its come as a bit of a shock, it felt lighthearted in that respect

Yet response after response has been defensive and personally attacking of other posters just talking basic facts. Strange

I agree with pp who said it's important not to place a value judgement. Op has got quite defensive at hearing that 13st is quite heavy even for a man, but she doesn't have to be defensive about it.

I get recurring gum problems. Partly, I think, I have a genetic propensity. But also I brush my teeth in a tearing hurry, not very thoroughly, sometimes only once a day. I've got some excuses - it's boring, I'm busy, mornings are manic with my toddler, I really hate the sensation of a toothbrush in my mouth because I'm really sensitive to certain textures.

Every single time I go to the dentist they point out my gums have problems and I need to brush them differently etc. If I don't, they'll only get worse and cause me real problems.

Being overweight is a bit like that, I guess. There's bound to be lots of reasons including genes, medical conditions, unavoidable lifestyle challenges like lack of time so requiring convenience food. It's not entirely your "fault". But at the end of the day, if we don't deal with it, the problem will get worse.

I'm the same. If I tell people I need to lose 3 stone they look at me as though I'm insane. But I was happily 3 stone lighter my entire adult life until the menopause hit.

It's rubbish. I've started Slimfast as a quick way to get me off snacking and excess sugar. Hoping it makes a dent quickly so I can get in the right mindset as 3 stone is a lot to have to lose.

OP we are similar sizes. I am definitely very overweight. It's not nice to accept but I am not a healthy weight. I've managed to lose and keep off a stone (over about 4 months) and keep it of for 3 months now by cutting out all but a tiny bit of Ultra Processed foods. I also feel so much better.

What a strange, unpleasant response. You are the one that asked, after all.

In response to your OP, yes you are unreasonable to be surprised. Nearly 13 stone at 5’5” is significantly over where a person of that height should be in order to be healthy.

8 stone 10 at 5' 8" is probably near the bottom of a healthy BMI.

I really don't think anyone would ever be concerned about that.

Unless they were 'concerned'.