Obesity is basically defined as having BMI of 30 and above. It is one of the few “medical conditions” that are difficult to deal with, both clinically and Mentally. To some, saying “you’re Obese” is Body Shaming, and that alone means it’s going to be difficult to recommend weight loss to that person.
Let’s Start By explaining BMI : BMI is the weight in Kilograms (KG) per Meter squared (m²) of your height. Remember to convert centimeters to meters, divide the value by 100.
BMI (Body Mass Index) indicates how healthy a Person is. The Higher the BMI the more unhealthy a person is especially once it passes 25. Normal BMI is between 18.5 and 25kg/m². Between 25 and 30 is considered Overweight. Once your BMI is above 30 that’s Obesity. When your BMI is more than 40 Kg/m², you have Morbid Obesity, which reduces quality of life and overall life expectancy significantly.
There are many health risks associated with Obesity, which is why you need to take action as soon as you realize your weight is unhealthy.
If you want to know your BMI use Our BMI Calculator.
Classification of BMI
The following classification of BMI is mainly for adults, it is highly accurate although it may be affected by muscle bulk in people who are body builders.
Is it body shaming to say someone is fat? YES when a Person who is not a Health Care Professional tells you that you’re Fat without any measurements done. Only a health care professional can tell you that you’re Overweight or a person that is helping e.g. Personal Weight Loss coach, Dietician, Physician etc. They can do that after taking proper measurements.
2 Types of Obesity
- Central obesity
- Peripheral Obesity
CENTRAL Obesity: is the more dangerous form of the two. It’s characterized by fat that is mostly on the belly with thin legs and arms.
Most of the fat in central obesity is located inside the abdomen and chest. It causes many complications such as sleep apnea, GERD among other conditions and significantly increases the risk of Heart Diseases. Read detailed explanation of Complications of Obesity.
Peripheral Obesity : is less dangerous, here fat is distributed equally on the body. In females they usually have bigger hips and buttocks.
Wight gain occurs when there is imbalance between food intake and energy expenditure. Ideally you should eat less if you exercise less and eat more calories if you exercise more. Most people do not check calorie content of the food they eat. Eating less calories does not necessarily mean eating small quantity of food. For example, small amount of cheese can have more calories than a plate full of vegetable salad.. The important thing is calorie quantity not actual food quantity.
Another important fact about obesity is that the fat is stored inside the adipose cells, which is why you cannot just open the abdomen and remove fat, it would just come off with fat cells. Adipose tissue (fat cells) is alive like other cells in the body, it has blood supply as well. The best way to lose weight is to reduce calorie intake while increasing expenditure via exercise.
Dangers Of Obesity
If you have BMI of more than 30, it is almost Guaranteed that you have, or will have, one or more of the following:
- Type 2 Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- Cancer
- Weak Immune System
- Snoring at Night
- Sleep Apnea
- Arthritis
- Glaucoma
- Erectile Dysfunction
- High Cholesterol
- Varicose veins
- Gynecomastia
- Stomach Ulcers
- GERD
The list above is not complete. If you’re interested in how each of the mentioned conditions is linked to Obesity, comment with Questions below.
Obesity is a treatable medical Condition that needs weight Loss and Proper Diet. But no one has a right to tell others that they are too fat. Everyone should know dangers of being Overweight and take decision based on that if they want to reduce weight.
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