Who Is Overweight?Overweight is generally defined as having more body fat than is healthy. Being overweight is a common occurrence especially in the western world where food is in abundance and physical activity is minimal. A healthy body requires a minimum amount of fat for warmth, for the reproductive system, for the immune system and for energy amongst other things but storing too much fat can affect your looks, your mobility and your health. How do you know if you are overweight?There are several ways to measure if you are overweight.Simple WeighingThe weight of the individual is measured and compared to an estimated ideal weight. This is the easiest and most common method, but by far the least accurate, as it only measures one quantity (weight) and often does not take into account many factors such as height, body type, and relative amount of muscle mass. Some people are naturally heavy boned and may be classified as overweight by this method of simple weighing. That is why it is preferable to use other calculations in addition to weight.Body Mass Index (BMI)Body Mass Index, or BMI is a measure of a persons weight taking into account their height. It is given by the formula: BMI equals body weight divided by the square of the persons height; with weight in kilograms and height in meters. BMI provides a significantly more accurate representation of body fat content than simply measuring a persons weight.It does not however take into account some factors such as pregnancy, bodybuilding, or children which effect body composition. Because muscle weighs more than fat, a person with a toned muscular body can be classified as being overweight because of a high BMI reading when in fact that person is rather really fit. As BMI does not account for extremes of muscle mass and other individual variations it is possible for an individual with a BMI of less than 25 to have excess body fat, while others may have a BMI that is significantly higher without falling into this category Definitions of what is considered to be overweight vary by ethnicity. The current definition proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) designate whites, hispanics and blacks with a BMI of 25 kg or more as overweight. For Asians, overweight is a BMI between 23 and 29.9 kg and obesity for all groups is a BMI more than 30 kg. Body Fat AnalysisThis method involves passing a small electrical current through the body and measuring the body's resistance to the electrical flow. As fat and muscle conduct electricity differently, this method can provide a direct measurement of the percentage of body fat present as compared to muscle mass. In the past, this technique could only be performed reliably by trained professionals with specialized equipment, but it is now possible to buy "home kits" which allow individuals to do this themselves with a minimum of training.There are a number of factors which can affect the results, including hydration and body temperature, so a fair amount of care must still be taken when applying this test to ensure that the results are in fact accurate and applicable. For example if you have just eaten a heavy meal, or drunk alot of water or just finished exercising or had a shower the results you would get would be inaccurate. Generally speaking for men if your body fat is less than 10 percent you would be considered thin; Normal would be between 10 and 25 per cent and obese would be over 25 percent For women a body fat of less than 20 percent would be thin; 20 to 35 percent would be normal and over 35 percent would be considered obese If an individual is overweight and has excess body fat it could cause health risks. Being overweight is generally caused by the intake of more calories by eating than are used by the body through exercise and everyday living. Studies suggest that reducing calorie intake by itself by
dieting
may have short-term effects but does not lead to long-term
weight loss,
and can often result in gaining back all of the lost weight and more in the longer term. For this reason, it is generally recommended that weight loss
diets
not be attempted on their own but instead in combination with increased exercise and long-term planning and weight management. If you found this interesting why not check out the information on Weight Loss |