If you’re overweight chances are that you know it, but how do you know when you are obese? While many may say, ‘overweight, obese, what’s the difference,’ the difference can literally be life and death. Simply being overweight doesn’t typically mean that you are at any great health risk unless you are on the upper end of being so, but being classified as obese means you are opening a door to a world that is full of many different types of medical and health related issues. For this reason it is imperative to figure out if you are overweight or obese, and if you are obese to do something about it.
Step 1
Look around. Just taking a quick look around will give you some sort of feeling as to the state of the world in which people now live. Researchers estimate that almost two thirds, or about 67 percent, of adults are currently overweight and that about 30 percent of adults would be classified as obese. This is an alarming rate, and while diet and exercise are helpful it is hard to succeed in a world where portions are so large and people as a whole have become sedentary.
Step 2
Calculate your BMI. Knowing if you are in the overweight category or the obese category can be figured out once you know your Body Mass Index or BMI for short. BMI is a measure of body fat using your height and weight, and it works the same for both men and women alike. To obtain your BMI you need to take your current weight in kilograms and then divide that number by your current height in meters squared. If your BMI number is 18.5 to 24.5 you have what is considered to be a normal BMI and are not overweight or obese. If your BMI number is 25 to 29.9 then you are classified as being overweight but not yet obese. Finally, any BMI number that is 30 or greater is classified as obese. Obviously, the higher the number is over 30, the more obese you are and thus the more susceptible you are to health risks and other related issues.
If you only know your weight and height in pounds, feet, and inches don’t worry. There are several BMI calculators online that will do the conversion for you. Here's a great BMI calculator and probably one of the most commonly used for this.
If you are in the 25 to 29.9 BMI group you should feel some relief that you are not obese, but you should also do something about it. Don’t let that ‘safe’ number turn into an ‘unsafe’ number by continuing to go down the same path you have been following. Sometimes it is simply time to change course, and changing that course before you are classified as obese could mean the difference in you being around for a while or being a fond memory. A simple shift in your thinking and actions can go a long way in making sure that you never have to worry about knowing if you are or are not obese.