Home » Profiles » General Information » FAQs » How is obesity defined?
BODY MASS INDEX Overweight and obesity are measured and determined using the body mass index, or BMI. This is a simple, easy to apply, index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify underweight, overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres (kg/m2). BMI = weight (kg) / height (m) x height (m) The classification of overweight and obesity, according to BMI, is shown in the table below. This applies to men and women over the age of 18 years. Classification BMI Underweight Below 18.5 Normal range 18.5 – 24.9 Overweight 25.0 – 29.9 Obese 30 or above Therefore, a person is considered overweight when his or her BMI is between 25.0 and 29.9, and obese when his or her BMI is greater than or equal to 30. NOTE: • As BMI is calculated using height and weight only, it therefore does not measure body fat, and cannot differentiate between weight that represents muscle and weight that represents fat. This means th
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