Being overweight refers to a surplus of body weight. This doesn’t necessarily mean just body fat. Being obese means an very elevated amount of body fat. Health experts use a measurement called body mass index (BMI) to categorize a person’s weight as fit, overweight, or obese. BMI expresses body weight in relation to height. It is concurrent with overall body fat content in adults.

You can calculate your Body Mass Index by multiplying your weight in pounds by 703, you then divide the product by your height in inches, and the divide those results by your height in inches again.

To make it easy, you can use the BMI calculator here: www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm.

After you have calculated you Body Mass Index, you can use the below weight/health chart to see where your health level falls.

If you have a Body Mass Index of 18.5 up to 25, this is considered a healthy weight range. From 25 up to 30 is considered overweight. If you have a BMI of 30 or more, this is considered obese.

The higher a individuals Body Mass Index, the more that person’s risk for health problems is. This is in accordance to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) research.

Having a surplus of abdominal body fat (Beer belly) can also increase your health risks. Males with a waist of above 40 inches in circumference and women with a waist of 35 inches in circumference or more are at risk of increased health problems.

Obesity is now known to be a disease. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute states that it is a multifaceted chronic disease linking social, behavioral, cultural, physiological, metabolic, and hereditary aspects.  There are many theories why individuals happen to be overweight or obese. But, is only one agreed upon method to help you lose weight: Move More and Consume less.

Note that the Body Mass Index ranges here are for adults. The BMI is also not exact ranges of healthy and unhealthy weights. But, it does show an accurate estimate of increasing health risks as your weight increases.