The Obesity Epidemic: What Needs to Be Done

By Sam Ray Smith

Obesity: What You Need to Know

Obesity is a disorder in which a person has abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair their health. A persons' Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-to-height that is most commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. BMI is defined as a person's weight in kilos divided by the square of his/her height in meters (kg/m2).

- a BMI greater than or equal to 25 is overweight

- a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is obesity

BMI provides the most appropriate means of defining obesity and overweight in the general population, as it is the same for both sexes and all ages of adults. It's not without its inaccuracies, however, as it gives you a definition of your body mass-height ratio without actually measuring what your body mass consists of. For instance, it's not uncommon to find a bodybuilder at 1.77m (5ft 10in) and 101 kg (16 stone). This person would have a BMI of 32.2 and would be classed as obese. However on looking at the bodybuilder, who may well be 6% body fat, it's obvious there is no obesity. There are other measurements that can give an indication as to whether somebody is overweight or obese, including (but not limited to): Waist-Hip ratio, Waist-Height ratio and Lean-Fat Mass readings. BMI does however remain the best tool for classifying obesity in the general population.