What does it mean to be overweight or obese?
An individual having abnormal or excessive body fat accumulation that could impair their health is considered to be overweight or obese. Determination as to whether an individual is overweight or obese is calculated by using the Body Mass Index (BMI) measurement. Which is a measurement calculated by using a person’s weight with consideration to their height. BMI provides the most useful population level measure of overweight and obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults. However, it should be considered as a rough guide only as it may not correspond to the same degree of fatness in different individuals. A person’s BMI can be calculated by dividing a person’s weight (in kilograms) by the square height (in metres) (Kg/M2).
The categories for adults are as follows;
- BMI below 18.5 = Underweight
- BMI between 18.5 – 24.9 = Normal Weight
- BMI between 25 – 29.9 = Overweight
- BMI greater between 30 – 39.9 = Obese
- BMI 40 and above = Morbidly Obese.
Here is an example on how to calculate your BMI. For this example we are going to use an adult who is 86kg in weight and 1.68m in height.
The 1st step is to calculate the height in m2. So, 1.68m x 1.68m = 2.8m2.
Then weight in KG’s by height (m2), so, 86kg ÷ 2.82 (m2) = BMI 30.49.
Or for ease, please follow this link for a handy calculator provided by NHS.