Restoration to normal body composition by VLCD: a comparison of post obese and lean subjects questions BMI 25 as diet limit.

Body composition was assessed in naturally lean female subjects who never had need to diet. At BMI 21-22 their body weight distribution of 75 per cent FFM and 25 per cent fat was compared with subjects who had dieted below BMI 25 by various conventional self-selected diets; subjects who had dieted to BMI 21-22 by VLCD and subjects who were dieting with VLCD but were still above BMI 25. These body composition studies support values of BMI 22-22 as a better estimate of desirable weight in women than BMI 25. At BMI 21-22 the distribution of body weight between fat and FFM of post VLCD dieters matches that of normal lean women.