What is obesity ?

Obesity means that a person has an excess amount of body fat than it is usually present in the body. Though everyone needs some body fat, but too much fat can cause health problems. In approximate terms when women have more than 30% body fat and men more than 25% body fat, they are considered obese.

How do we measure obesity? When do we say that an individual is obese or over weight ?

Though we can measure over weight directly in a weighing machine, it does not denote whether an individual is overweight according to his height or not. It is not the best way to determine if an individual is overweight or obese, or at risk for developing obesity and its related health conditions. Certain other measurements can help to find out more about body composition like body mass Index, Waist Circumference and Skin fold thickness. Body mass index is the most accurate of all these measurements.

What is body mass Index and how do we measure it?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a calculation used to determine whether a patient is overweight. It is calculated by dividing a person's body weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared (weight [kg] height [m]2)
BMI = Weight in Kilograms / (Height in meters) 2

For example a person of weighing 86 kilos and 178 cm height, Body Mass Index is calculated as follows
BMI = Weight in Kilograms is (86) / (Height in meters) 2 is (1.78) 2
BMI = 86/ (1.78) 2 = 86 / 3.1684 = 27.14

18.5 to 24.9 =  Healthy Weight
25 to 29.9 = Over weight
30 to 39.9 =  Obesity
40 or 59.9 =  Severe Obesity
> 60 or more = Super obese