What is the difference between being overweight and being obese?
• Being overweight means you have an excess amount of body weight, compared to set standards. This excess weight may come from muscle, bone, fat and/or body water. • Being obese means you have an excess amount of body fat. Everyone needs a certain amount of body fat for stored energy, heat insulation and other functions. • Men with more than 25 percent body fat and women with more than 30 percent body fat are considered obese. Can being overweight or obese affect my health? Yes. More than 60 percent of Americans aged 20 and older are overweight. One fourth of American adults are also obese. Being overweight or obese puts you at increased risk for developing health problems like: • diabetes • high blood pressure • heart disease • stroke • certain types of cancer • arthritis • chronic kidney disease. How do I know if I’m overweight or obese? • To find out if you’re overweight, you can check a weight-for-height chart. • You can also find your body mass index (BMI), which is a commonly use
Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height. The terms also identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems. For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the body mass index (BMI). 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.
Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height. The terms also identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems. For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the “body mass index” (BMI). • 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.
