Obese vs. Overweight

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Difference between Obese and Overweight

In today’s hectic life where less or no time is devoted to any physical activity, stage of obese and overweight is seen commonly. The large amount of fat that exists in the body is the precise way to define the word obese. In all these years, the major impact of the obese category has formed due to the obese children.

The lack of physical activity and high consumption of substances which the body converts into sugar or fat has been found out to be the major cause of the increase in the number of obese children. If we are to distinguish between obese and overweight, the former is the excessive quantity of fat whereas the latter is the excess of body weight with respect to the height.

Calculative Analysis

The calculative analysis of the obese and the overweight is done using the BMI which refers to Body Mass Index. This is calculated by dividing the weight (kg) by the square of the height (m). If the BMI calculated is between 24 to 27 kg/m2, it gives the state of person being overweight. On the other hand, if the BMI exceeds 27 kg/m2, it is clearly defines the person as being obese. One thing that nobody realizes is that if the BMI index is below 27 kg/m2, it makes the person more prone to infections and illness.

The tendency of having higher BMI occurs usually at the stage of middle age when the person is more prone towards the complications in health. Underweight situation occurs when the person has BMI lower than 18.5 kg/m2.

Measurement of Body Fat

Women possess body fat exceeding 30% and men possess body fat exceeding 25 % are short listed in the obese category. With the aid of extraordinary equipment, the precise weight can be analyzed by placing the person underwater. This is mostly done in laboratories and is not at all advised to be done without the professional assistance. Another basic test to calculate your body fat is by performing a test wherein a small amount of skin is measured precisely to find out the thickness of the fat layer.

Level Of Difficulty

Though it is a difficult task to calculate the body fat precisely but is quite effective to get oneself figured out as being obese or not. For the overweight analysis, the calculation of the bioelectric impedance technique is used which is also considered as a complicated procedure and is basically done by the clinics that include specialized professionals in this particular field.

Summary

This method is known as the skin fold test. By looking at the above facts, we can conclude that

  • Obese and overweight are harmful for human beings.
  • They have common way of calculative analysis i.e. BMI.
  • After the limit of BMI is crossed, leading to the stage of obesity.
  • The measurement of the fat is supportive in judging the stage of obese or overweight.
  • It is obligatory to avoid any kind of situation though it is overweight, obese or underweight.

Even though both these stages of accumulated fat are harmful but if carefully taken steps can be easily avoided. If you are successfully able to control the phase of overweight, it would never lead to the phase of obese.

Which do people self classify wrongly the most?
  • Obese
  • Overweight
 
 

Discuss It: comments 1

  • Guest
  • Joey wrote on May 2010

I agree with you ...the degree of the extra weight makes a huge difference. I think most people can handle an extra 20 lbs without looking particularily OW, and middle-aged women do look much better (IMO) with a little added weight...so we're back to the pleasingly plump vs. the obese.

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