DEFINITIONS OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY
The usual definition of overfatness or overweight is up to 20 per cent over a recognised ideal body weight, or a body mass index (BMI) (or height-weight measure) of 25-29.9- BMI is a measure using weight divided by height squared (kg/m2); the normally recognised ‘ideal’ is a BMI of 20-25. Obesity is regarded here as a BMI of 30-39.9; and morbid obesity as BMI over 40.
Summary of main points.
• Almost 1 in 2 people in western countries are now defined as overweight or obese.
• People in some Western countries have been increasing body weight at the average rate of 1g/day over the last decade.
• ‘Overfatness’ is a more appropriate term than ‘overweight’.
• The fitness and nutrition booms have had little impact on levels of fatness throughout the world.
• The environment determines prevalence, and genes determine the presence of obesity.
• The traditional paradigm of ‘weight=energy in (food)— energy out (exercise) is no longer adequate for understanding obesity.
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