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Defining Overweight and Obesity

Vital Healthcare Group

Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height. These identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems .

Definitions for Adults

For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the "body mass index" (BMI). BMI is used because, for most people, it correlates with their amount of body fat.
  • An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight.
  • An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
See the following table for an example.

Height Weight Range BMI Considered
5'9" 124 lbs or less Below 18.5 Underweight
125 lbs to 168 lbs 18.5 to 24.9 Healthy weight
169 lbs to 202 lbs 25.0 to 29.9 Overweight
203 lbs or more 30 or higher Obese

Although BMI correlates with the amount of body fat, BMI does not directly measure body fat. As a result, some people such as athletes may have a BMI that identifies them as overweight even though they do not have excess body fat. For more information about BMI, visit Body Mass Index.

Definitions for Children and Teens

For children and teens, BMI ranges above a normal weight have different labels (overweight and obese). Additionally, BMI ranges for children and teens are defined so that they take into account normal differences in body fat between boys and girls and differences in body fat at various ages. For more information about BMI for children and teens (also called BMI-for-age), visit BMI for Children and Teens.

Assessing Health Risks

BMI is just one indicator of potential health risks associated with being overweight or obese. For assessing someone's likelihood of developing overweight- or obesity-related diseases, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines recommend looking at two other predictors:
  • The individual's waist circumference (because abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related diseases).
  • Other risk factors the individual has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity).
Source: For more information about the assessment of health risk for developing overweight- and obesity-related diseases, visit the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute information pages on Obesity and Overweight: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/obe/obe_whatare.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Overweight and Obesity: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/defining.html

Last Updated: 02/08/2010
This content was created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of Vital Healthcare Group. www.VitalHealthCareGroup.com; all rights reserved.

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