On january 1, an overweight college student, 5'5" tall with a bmi of 28, sets a long-term goal to achieve a normal body composition by summer. which of these is the best benchmark for him to set for himself? a. lose 10 pounds in six months. b. lose 10 pounds in three months. c. lose 60 pounds in six months. d. lose 20 pounds in six months.

The answer is: B. Lose 10 pounds in three months.

BMI is calculated with this formula:

This mean that for a 1. 65 meter (5'5'')  tall student to obtain a BMI of 28, the weight must be

weight = BMI x 1.65^2

weight = 28 x 2.7225

weight = 76.23 kilograms.

Normal BMI range is 18  -  25

To reach a BMI of 25, the student's weight must be

'weight =  25 x 1.65^2

weight  = 68 kilograms

Total weight that the student need to lose

= 76.23 kg -  68 kg

= 8.23 kg     or       18.14 pound

Healthy amount of weight to lose is around 1  pounds per week. So, the student need around  18 weeks to lose all the weight.

Because of this, losing 10 pound in three months (12 weeks)  is a good benchmark since it provide realistic timing and expectation for the student.