What do the terms overweight and obese really mean?
This may sound like a silly question. However, if you do a Google search for overweight, you’ll see that there are a lot of pages that define the terms “overweight” and “obese” in terms of Body Mass Index (BMI). In simple terms, BMI is a weight-to-height ratio. For adults, if your BMI is between 25 or more, you’re considered to be overweight. And you’re considered to be obese if your BMI is 30 or more.
The problem with defining your ideal weight in terms of BMI is that it takes the discussion out of what is tangible and easy to grasp and puts it in terms that most people can’t relate to. I believe most adults think they have a good feel for their “healthy” weight and whether they’re at an ideal weight, just a bit overweight, or are borderline obese or beyond. If you don’t know your BMI, why not take this opportunity to look it up. You can find a BMI calculator at the following link: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
Looking up your BMI is easy. The question is: Will it be painless? If you get a shock, maybe it will serve as a wakeup call.
If you’re good with math, you can use the following formula to calculate your BMI:
- Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
- Take your height in inches and square it (multiply it times itself).
- Divide #1 by #2.
I can’t imagine that anyone would want to perform this calculation themselves. However, this does illustrate how nebulous BMI really is.
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