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What is overweight and obese?

What is overweight and obese?

BMI – Body Mass Index

There is now an agreed method of measuring weight in order to detect whether individuals are outside the normal weight range. The method uses the individual's height and weight measurements to calculate (weight divided by height squared) the Body Mass Index (BMI).

A person with a BMI of less than 25 is healthy and not overweight.

A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is classified as being ‘overweight’ and

A BMI of 30 or more indicates 'obesity'.

A person of height 5'9" weighing 12 stones 7 pounds has a BMI of 26 and is therefore overweight. If he/she was 14 stones 7 pounds then the BMI would be 30 and he/she would now be classified as obese.

A BMI Calculator  is included on this website or simply call the clinic and we'll calculate it for you.

There are some anomalies using BMI as the only measure, for example a body builder may have a high BMI because of all the muscle mass but very little fat.

Waist measurement

A large waist measurement confers greater risk in a person who is overweight or obese, for a man over 38” is a problem and over 32” for a woman.

Waist-Hip Ratio

Waisthip ratio or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is the ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips. This is calculated as waist measurement divided by hip measurement ( W ÷ H ). ... The WHR has been used as an indicator or measure of health, and the risk of developing serious health conditions.

Recently, it's been suggested that waist-hip ratio, which measures the proportion of fat stored on your body around your waist and hips, is the best predictor of a person's risk of a heart attack, making it a more accurate measure than BMI.

Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. The figure you get from this calculation is your waist-hip ratio. For example, if your waist is 85cm (33in) and your hips are 100cm (39in); your waist-hip ratio is 0.85.

If you're a man and your ratio is more than 1.0, or a woman and your waist-hip ratio is more than 0.8, it means you're an apple shape and at greater risk of health problems.

Confused?

Simply call our clinic (0113 2448866) for free advice.