Classification
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health. It is defined by body mass index (BMI) and further evaluated in terms of fat distribution via the waist–hip ratio and total cardiovascular risk factors. BMI is closely related to both percentage body fat and total body fat.
In children, a healthy weight varies with age and sex. Obesity in children and adolescents is defined not as an absolute number but in relation to a historical normal group, such that obesity is a BMI greater than the 95th percentile. The reference data on which these percentiles were based date from 1963 to 1994, and thus have not been affected by the recent increases in weight.
| BMI | Classification |
|---|---|
| < 18.5 | underweight |
| 18.5–24.9 | normal weight |
| 25.0–29.9 | overweight |
| 30.0–34.9 | class I obesity |
| 35.0–39.9 | class II obesity |
| ≥ 40.0 | class III obesity |
BMI is calculated by dividing the subject's mass by the square of his or her height, typically expressed either in metric or US "customary" units:
- Metric:
- US customary and imperial:
where is the subject's weight in pounds and is the subject's height in inches.
The most commonly used definitions, established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1997 and published in 2000, provide the values listed in the table at right.
Some modifications to the WHO definitions have been made by particular bodies. The surgical literature breaks down "class III" obesity into further categories whose exact values are still disputed.
- Any BMI ≥ 35 or 40 is severe obesity
- A BMI of ≥ 35 or 40–44.9 or 49.9 is morbid obesity
- A BMI of ≥ 45 or 50 is super obesity
As Asian populations develop negative health consequences at a lower BMI than Caucasians, some nations have redefined obesity; the Japanese have defined obesity as any BMI greater than 25 while China uses a BMI of greater than 28.
Read more about this topic: Obesity