The US must be a nation of body builders if 70% overweight doesn't mean >65% too fat.

I just meant that mildly overweight people wearing well-fitting clothes may not "read" as overweight to the casual observer. Some people think "overweight" means "obese," which makes the 70% figure more startling. It's still a major national health issue.

The average American male seems to carry more upper body muscle mass than, say, your average Indian male. You don't have to look like Schwarzenegger or The Rock to find yourself bumping up against the general guideline numbers.

You have to look like a body builder if you want to to bump against the guideline numbers while having a reasonably low body fat percentage.

No you don't. I'm 6'2", 200, 15 - 17% body fat, and my BMI is too high. I'm only moderately active (no gym time, just active or laborious hobbies).

I read your comment as “yeah but those stats are only 80-90% accurate”. (I didn’t downvote it)

BMI is a measurement. The ill effects of obese BMI on health is pretty much settled.

The main thing I know there's been some recent controversy regarding the health risks of the edge cases of the "overweight" category. (https://www.verywellhealth.com/is-being-a-little-overweight-...).

My best guess is that your edge cases are going to come from people who are slightly overweight but still exercising regularly and have an overall healthy diet (as this WebMD page implies -- https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/can-you-be-fit-fat#1). These people may be healthier overall than someone in the "normal" range with a bad diet and sedentary lifestyle.

Best guess is that this is not the majority of overweight people, though... Exercise statistics in the US are pretty dismal. (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cdc-80-percent-of-american-adul...).