So How Can You Know if You are Overweight?
Even a skinny person can be out of shape! And a heavy person can be fit. Think of a body builder. Body weight and BMI don’t take into account the proportion of fat in the body, or where that fat is on your body. For example, if you have more fat at your waist than at your hips, this can be more harmful to your health. Also, diet programs often make the mistake of focusing on the scale and what it tells you rather than focusing on changing the behavior that can improve your weight.
To determine if you are overweight or obese, you need to distinguish between fat mass which is related to health conditions — such as type 2 diabetes — and lean mass, including muscle, which reduces health risks.
A measurement that will help you do this is abdominal obesity, which is a key predictor of risk for developing obesity-related cardiovascular disease. To measure your abdomen, wrap a measuring tape around your abdomen slightly above the hipbone and level with your navel.
Fat located deep in the abdomen around the internal organs may be more dangerous than fat just under the skin and peripheral fat found in places like hips and thighs. So even with a “good” BMI, a patient would be at increased risk of developing an obesity-related disease if his waist circumference is too big.
If You Suspect You are Overweight, What Should You Do?
See your physician and have him or her determine if you really are overweight. A thorough exam should include BMI and waist circumference, along with an evaluation of your personal risk factors such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and family history for heart disease. If you have a BMI greater than 25 and a high-risk waist circumference, you should discuss treatment and options with a physician. Chances are, the recommendation will include a medical weight loss program.
Overweight Facts:
- BMI under 18.5 is underweight
- BMI of 18.5--24.9 is normal
- BMI of 25--29.9 is overweight
- BMI of 30 or higher is obese
- Waist circumference greater than 40 inches in men indicates high risk
- Waist circumference greater than 35 for women indicates high risk
Overweight Children
Keep an eye on your kids. An increasing number of children are overweight, which puts them at risk for developing higher than normal blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar. Overweight children are far more likly to be overweight adults than children who are not overweight.