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Most consumers are familiar with body mass index, or BMI, which refers to how much body fat you hold on your frame versus the amount of muscle and bone. For years, scientists have been using a complicated formulation which involves calculating your own body weight multiplied by 703, divided by height in inches squared -- and then online calculators are supposed to show a "healthy weight range." Whew!

Here's an example using me: I am a 5-foot 6-inch "healthy" active person. I plug in my numbers to any online BMI chart and out pops my "healthy range" which means if I weigh between 120 and 150 pounds (which I do, on the low end), then my "healthy weight range" of 120 to 150 pounds should have a BMI between 19 and 24. OK, but what exactly does it mean?

For years, fitness experts have been considering re-jiggering the BMI formulations to reflect your Fat Mass Index (FMI) instead, which is the number we're truly interested in and the number that pertains to diseases such as diabetes and obesity. In fact, scientist Thomas Kelly of Hologic Inc. in Bedford, Mass. and colleagues recently revealed new body fat composition measures as part of the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Kelly and colleagues suggested FMI could eventually replace BMI as a more accurate indicator of excess body fat and, therefore, of obesity-related health risks.

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When you go out to eat, there's a good chance your meal will have something to do with whoever is on the other side of the table, and not just in terms of what appetizer you might share. According to new research from Duke University, people who ate with overweight companions consumed even less than they did with thinner counterparts.

The study, which was published in the Journal of Consumer Research, focused on how people's food consumption is affected by the company they keep. Researchers recruited 210 college students and monitored their intake of M&Ms or granola when they were eating with either an overweight or thin individual.

Researchers found that the college students' portions were adjusted according to the body type of the person they were eating with. If their companion was overweight, the college student consumed a significantly smaller portion, while they mimicked how much the thinner person ate.

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In these economic times, do you really want to pay the price of being overweight? Carrying around extra pounds can add up to extra dollars spent on everything from plane tickets and gas to prescription drugs and health care coverage. This week on AOL Health, we uncover these surprising financial costs and emotional burdens that the obese often have to carry.

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Some weight loss drugs help you slim down but may cost you your health -- and other products don't even work at all. But there is some promise in a new drug in development that can not only help you lose weight, but can also help treat serious complications of obesity, specifically diabetes and high cholesterol. In recent studies on mice, fatostatin, as it is currently known, led to weight loss of 12 percent, reduction in blood sugar levels of 70 percent, reversal of diabetes and lower cholesterol. According to the findings from Chemistry & Biology, "Fatostatin blocked increases in body weight, blood glucose, and hepatic (liver) fat accumulation in (genetically) obese mice, even under uncontrolled food intake."

As for how it works? In a nutshell, Fatostatin stops the body from producing fat -- it's released as energy instead. It works by effectively 'turning off' proteins that help control fat synthesis.

OK, it's one thing to help mice lose weight -- past experience has proved that what works on a mouse doesn't always work on a human. So can it do the same for us? "I am very, very optimistic," lead author Sahil Wakil tells MSNBC. So are we -- but I'm hoping most of us are taking steps to change our lives today instead of holding out for a so-called miracle drug that's years away.

Wondering how to slim down? Find out how Phylicia Rashad did it.

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It can be hard enough to look in the mirror and admit to yourself that you need to lose weight. When it comes to a friend, loved one or partner, it's an even stickier situation. We went to the mental health experts to get some ground rules to gently nudge your lover in the direction of the gym -- or at least away from the vending machine, without coming across as the food police, or heaven forbid, letting the "F-bomb" (fat) fly out of your mouth. Learn the best ways to help your partner lose weight at AOL Health.

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Surgeon General nominee Regina Benjamin is one accomplished physician. She's won numerous rewards, a MacArthur Foundation genius grant and a Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights. She's also a doctor who cares so much about her patients, she's been known to accept payment in oysters.

So why, then, is America talking about Dr. Benjamin's weight? As Slate points out, the Internet is a-twitter (heck, even Twitter is a-twitter) about Dr. Benjamin's BMI. Can a health official who's overweight -- and therefore, some presume not in charge of her own health -- really take care of America's health?

Take, for example, this quote from a commenter at the Washington Post: "It is clear why she was selected and it has nothing to do with health," writes wagner4. "Someone who is failing- not succeeding at the very basic levels of control and self restraint regarding food and their health....Is this what we want America's Doctor to look like. We are rewarding the sub-standards not the very best in their field."

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Poor knees. They carry around our full weight every day. And knees that are attached to an overweight body are working overtime.

In addition to heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions, obesity can put you at risk for knee injury and conditions like osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative musculoskeletal disorder that usually develops slowly, but obesity can cause rapid deterioration of the cartilage in the knee. Once you develop osteoarthritis, there's not much doctors can do; treatments revolve around managing the pain, and severe cases may require knee replacement surgery.

Over 300 patients who were at risk for osteoarthritis participated in a recent study. Weight proved to be a big factor in tissue decline; for every one unit increase in body mass index, the chance for cartilage loss jumped by 11 percent.

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We all know that being overweight increases your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and a host of other unpleasant diseases and conditions. However, a recent study published in Obesity may throw a big fat wrench in the battle of the bulge: Being overweight may actually be protective against mortality.

The 12-year study used body mass index to compare the mortality of individuals who qualify as underweight (BMI<18.5), overweight (BMI 25 to <30), obese (BMI>35) and normal weight (BMI 18.5 to 24.9). Researchers found that those with an overweight BMI of 25 to 30 had an overall lower mortality rate, even compared to those in the normal weight category.

Because this was an observational study, not many details regarding why this was the case are available. However, according to Dr. David H. Feeny, senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research and co-author of the study, the findings may partially be explained by an increase in pro-active healthcare compared to previous generations.

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Obesity and fertility are closely linked. Not only can obesity cause ovulation problems, it also seems to impair fertility in obese women who ovulate normally. But recent research gives new hope to obese or overweight women who are hoping to get pregnant. Research shows that a small amount of weight loss can increase fertility.

Women in the study had a BMI of nearly 40. They were given medication (orlistat or metformin) to help them shed pounds. After 12 weeks, researchers discovered that even a modest 5 percent drop in weight increased blood flow to the womb, which reduced testosterone levels and triggered the ovaries to function properly.

When you have lots of weight to lose, it can be daunting to look at your long-term weight goal. Particularly so when you have an important goal -- like getting pregnant -- in mind. That's why it's important to set milestones along the way. If you're overweight and trying to to get pregnant, start with the goal of losing just 5 percent of your weight. Then aim for 10 percent. Short-term goals are more attainable and can help keep you motivated.

Most of the women in the study had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) which can make weight loss more difficult. If you have PCOS and have had difficulty losing weight in the past, ask your doctor for advice. But healthy eating and exercise are necessary for everyone who's trying to lose weight, and they're particularly important for women on the verge of getting pregnant. Check out AOL Health for weight loss tips that work.

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Super-skinny models and celebrities have long taken some of the blame for eating disorders. When inundated with image after image of rail-thin waifs, it's human nature to compare your own body to those you see in magazines or on the screen. But does the flip side of that coin hold true? Do overweight celebrities give us the green light to be overweight too?

Obesity expert Michael McMahon thinks so. "The increasing profile of larger celebrities means that being overweight is now perceived as being 'normal' in the eyes of the public," McMahon told the Daily Mail. "We talk about the dangers of skinny media images, but the problem actually swings both ways."

We're drawn to celebrities, particularly when there's something about them that we find relatable. But what we see on glossy magazine pages isn't always the full truth. Super-thin celebrities are often airbrushed to portray a level of perfection even they can't achieve. What's more, like Natasha Henstridge recently admitted, the measures that celebrities take to stay skinny are often damaging to their health. And overweight celebrities have their fair share of issues, too. Nia Vardalos had blood sugar issues and Kevin Smith had a wake-up call when his doctor told him he was morbidly obese.

Our interest in celebrities should be just that -- an interest, but certainly not a lifestyle guide. When it comes to your weight, decisions should be made solely for the sake of your health. We each have to be responsible for our own health -- seeking advice from real medical experts, and not someone from Seattle Grace.

Do images of celebrities inspire you to lose/gain weight?

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I promised myself that there are some numbers on the scale I will see never again. When I got down to 300 pounds, I said bye-bye forever. Again at 200 pounds, I vowed the needle would never reach two anything -- ever again. Having consistently teetered between 183 and 191, my two-hundred-phobia has resolved. However, still looming in the back of my mind is the fact that by medical standards, I am still considered 'overweight.'

My 'normal' weight range is between 125 and 150 pounds. Did anybody else laugh reading that? Because I sure did. Those numbers are a little too low for someone stricken with bigbuttitis. In my usual fashion, I have taken the initiative to set a goal of 170 pounds. That is still 10 pounds above the recommendation of my doctor and trainer Jake, but any lower and I may have to turn in my big-butt club membership. I'm not quite ready to do that. It does have its privileges.

This goal lead me to my first Weight Watchers meeting at a local synagogue. I jumped on the scale and went through the routine hesitantly but proud of myself for making the steps and not stopping where I am because I "feel" good. Losing these 20 pounds, I expect to feel better.

Jonny Bowden, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach cuts through all the misconceptions about diet and fitness to help you transform your body, your health and your life.

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People who wolf down their food are more likely to be overweight and suffer from digestive problems. Here are some tips from the Life Extension Foundation (an organization dedicated to exploring ways to live long and healthy lives naturally), expanded on by me, to help you not do that!

Another good reason to skip dessert: Your health. Photo: sxc.hu

Last week, a flurry of studies reminded us that there are a lot of good reasons to stay fit, and not one of them has to do with looking good in your skinny jeans (though that doesn't hurt):

• The first study, from Virginia Commonwealth University, discovered that weight-loss surgery can lead to long-term control of type 2 diabetes. Ninety percent of patients in the study had normal blood sugar levels within a year, and over half maintained that control 15 years later.
• A second study out of Sweden found that women who had bariatric surgery reduced their risk of obesity-related cancers. (Men, however, did not benefit from losing weight.) In the past, obesity has been linked to certain cancers, and this study strengthened the notion that losing weight -- for women, at least -- can reduce that risk.
• A third study found that being overweight as a young adult increases the risk of pancreatic cancer, while being obese in middle age can reduce a person's chance of surviving the disease.

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Tammey Burns went from being so obese that she couldn't sleep lying down to being a competitive race walker. Through sheer hard work and determination, Burns lost an amazing 410 pounds.

At her high weight of 575 pounds, Burns was afraid to sit on furniture for fear she would break it, yet she couldn't stand for long periods without experiencing pain. She had multiple obesity-related conditions and had to rely on family members to help her with personal hygiene. She began losing weight, but at 403 pounds, her breathing issues were still so severe she had to have a tracheotomy tube inserted to help her get air. Rather than becoming frustrated, that gave her more determination than ever. She joined a fitness center and connected with a walking coach. She began viewing food as fuel and not as her "drug of choice." And she eventually became competitive in race walking. Burns is now a healthy 165 pounds.

Burns is nothing short of an inspiration. She's proof that even those with drastic amounts of weight to lose -- those who have weight-related health issues -- can lose weight the old-fashioned way, through diet and exercise.

Burns well deserved to be featured on the "TODAY" Joy Fit Club. But I think the show went from celebrating her achievements to treating her like a side show.

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