Hey, Richie, what you're describing is what my doctor calls "Fat but Fit." That means that the charts used to determine BMI (body mass index) call us fat--or even obese--but the reality is that all other measures of fitness are well within the normal range: blood pressure, cholesterol, breathing measurements (peak flow and blood gases), blood sugar, etc.
Frankly, some of us are genetically programmed to have more adipose tissue than others. It comes in really handy during famines, and it makes it easy to float when the boat sinks. *smile* A good chunk of mine is in the chest area, which my partner finds very attractive.
One of the problems with BMI and weight as a measurement of obesity is that it doesn't take into consideration the fact that muscle tissue is much more dense and heavy than fat. Using BMI numbers, many athletes register as "obese" because of their muscular development.
Frankly, the problem in the U.S. isn't fat--it's inactivity.
I'm not quite 5'1" and I weigh 155-160 pounds (fluctuates). I bike, swim, lift weights three times a week and walk almost everywhere (if it's within a two-mile radius, I'm not paying for the gas to get there). The charts say I'm obese; my doctor says I'm healthy.
Jankyn