..."in the absence of some pathological condition" confused you? Would thyroid problems constitute a pathological condition? If you are 6'1" and weigh 205, you are HARDLY obese. I am the same height and weight fifteen pounds less than you, so I too, am overweight by the height/weight charts. But with body fat of 18% at my age, I'm not losing any sleep over it. The fact remains that few obese people are that way because of thyroid problems. They simply consume far too many calories for the amount they expend.