Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height. The terms also identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems.

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Fitango Education
Health Topics
Obesity

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Defining Overweight and
Obesity
Overweight and obesity are both labels
for ranges of weight that are greater than what is
generally

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Defining Overweight and
Obesity
considered healthy for a given height. The terms
also identify ranges
of weight that have been shown to increase the
likelihood of certain
diseases and other health problems.

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What causes obesity?
There are a variety of factors that play a role in
obesity. This makes it a complex health issue to
address. Behavior, environment, and genetic
factors may have an effect in causing people to be
overweight and obese.

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Assessing Health Risks
Associated with Overweight
and Obesity
BMI is just one indicator of potential
health risks associated with being overweight or
obese. For assessing

6. 5
Assessing Health Risks
Associated with Overweight
and Obesity
someone's likelihood of developing overweight- or
obesity-related
diseases, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute guidelines
recommend looking at two other predictors:
-- The individual's waist

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Assessing Health Risks
Associated with Overweight
and Obesity
circumference (because abdominal fat is a
predictor of risk for
obesity-related diseases).
-- Other risk factors the individual
has for diseases and conditions associated
with obesity (for

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Assessing Health Risks
Associated with Overweight
and Obesity
example, high blood pressure or physical
inactivity).
For more information about the
assessment of health risk for developing
overweight- and
obesity-related diseases, visit the following Web
pages from the

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Assessing Health Risks
Associated with Overweight
and Obesity
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute:
-- Assessing
Your Risk
-- Body
Mass Index Table

10. 9
Assessing Health Risks
Associated with Overweight
and Obesity-- Clinical
Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation,
and Treatment of
Overweight and Obesity in Adults

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Definitions for adults
For
adults, overweight and obesity ranges are
determined by using weight
and height to calculate a number called the "body
mass index"

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Definitions for adults
(BMI). BMI is used because, for most people, it
correlates with their
amount of body fat.
-- An
adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is
considered overweight.
-- An

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Definitions for adults
adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered
obese.
It
is important to remember that although BMI
correlates with the amount
of body fat, BMI does not directly measure body
fat. As a result,

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Definitions for adults
some people, such as athletes, may have a BMI
that identifies them as
overweight even though they do not have excess
body fat.

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Preventing weight gain
As people age, their body composition gradually
shifts — the proportion of muscle decreases and
the proportion of fat increases. This shift slows
their metabolism, making it easier to gain weight.
In addition, some people become less physically
active as they get older, increasing the risk of
weight gain. The good news is that weight gain can
be prevented by choosing a lifestyle that includes
good eating habits and daily physical activity. By
avoiding weight gain, you avoid higher risks of ma