Body Mass Index Children

Q: What is obesity?A: According to the Centers for Disease Control, obesity is defined as “the condition of an excessively high amount of body fat or adipose tissue in relation to lean body mass.” 1 A more commonly-known definition of obesity is that of an individual’s weight being 30% or more above what is considered normal as defined by a standardly-accepted height/weight chart (e.g. The National Center for Health Statistics or Metropolitan Life Insurance Company). Overweight and obesity are also commonly determined by calculating an individual’s body mass index.

Morbid obesity means that the individual weighs anywhere from 50 to 100% percent more than normal weight or they are more than 100 pounds over normal weight. Morbid obesity literally means that the amount of overweight a person is carrying is life-threatening, due to its related health risks. Morbid obesity also often significantly hinders or prevents an individual from accomplishing many day-to-day functions. Surgical procedures like gastric bypass are often seriously considered as a weight control option for those who are morbidly obese.

Q: Why should obesity taken seriously?A: Obese individuals have a 50 to 100% increased risk of death from all causes as compared to normal-weight individuals. 5

Q: What is the difference between being overweight and obese?A: The CDC defines overweight as referring to increased body weight in relation to height as determined by comparison to a standard height/weight chart. 1 People who are considered overweight have not reached a high enough weight to qualify as being obese. As a rule of thumb, the medical community usually considers someone to be overweight rather than obese if their weight is 10% higher than normal as definied by height/weight charts.

Defining Overweight and Obesity

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.

Definitions for Adults

For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the “body mass index” (BMI). BMI is used because, for most people, it correlates with their amount of body fat.

See the following table for an example.

HeightWeight RangeBMIConsidered5’ 9”124 lbs or lessBelow 18.5Underweight125 lbs to 168 lbs18.5 to 24.9Healthy weight169 lbs to 202 lbs25.0 to 29.9Overweight203 lbs or more30 or higherObese

It is important to remember that although BMI correlates with the amount of body fat, BMI does not directly measure body fat. As a result, some people, such as athletes, may have a BMI that identifies them as overweight even though they do not have excess body fat. For more information about BMI, visit Body Mass Index.

Other methods of estimating body fat and body fat distribution include measurements of skinfold thickness and waist circumference, calculation of waist-to-hip circumference ratios, and techniques such as ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Definitions for Children and Teens

For children and teens, BMI ranges above a normal weight have different labels (at risk of overweight and overweight). Additionally, BMI ranges for children and teens are defined so that they take into account normal differences in body fat between boys and girls and differences in body fat at various ages. For more information about BMI for children and teens (also called BMI-for-age), visit BMI for Children and Teens.

Health Risks Associated with Obesity

Research has shown that as weight increases to reach the levels referred to as “overweight” and “obesity,”* the risks for the following conditions also increases:1

The health risks of obesity are serious and even life-threatening. Heart disease, for example, is the number one cause of death in America and can be directly linked to obesity.

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