I know I have a small frame.. I was wondering how that would relate to my ideal weight that has no health risk.... and also how that affects my obesity range. According to the BMI I am no longer obese at 205, but I suspect this might not apply to me. At least.. the health risks might not be gone, seeing as I collect all my fat in my stomach.
Is there a certain pants size that usually indicates a healthy stomach weight? I'm 5'10" and at my usual old weight of 175 (BMI 25.1), I wore a size 14 or 16 pants. At 160 (BMI 23) I wore a size 12 pants (I'm referring to pants that use your natural waistline that is around your bellybutton, not the lowcut pants). This makes me think a BMI might not be a very accurate measure of health risk for me. What would be a good way to determine when I am actually at a safe weight (since I have a small frame and mostly belly fat)? I just want to be HEALTHY and can't wait to get there.

You are correct that carrying weight around your middle (apple shaped) poses more of a health risk than carrying it lower (pear shaped). Advice given by health professionals in the UK is that women with a waist measurement in excess of 32" are 4 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and heart disease than those below. For men the same measurement is 37".

Even those who are defined as 'Overweight' by BMI but have a low waist circumference have no increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. As I fall into this category, I was pleased to read this.

Kitty

Here is some more info about the waist circumference and its measurement, and how it relates to health risk:
http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_co...o-early-death/
Most of this info has been publicized by Dr. Mehmet Oz on the Oprah show, and I recall that he said that your waist should measure 1/2 of your height. So for you at 70" tall, a waist 35" or less is great for you. For me, at 67" tall, a target waist measurement is 33.5".
I think this makes more sense than the autocratic "rule" of less than 32" for all women, because if you have more height, this just may not be physically possible.
The other thing the article mentions is the waist/hip ratio.

Hope this helps!

Kira