Overweight

Being overweight is having more body fat than is

considered healthy. The World Health Organization Overweight
(WHO) classifies people as overweight when their
body mass index (BMI)—a person's weight divided by
the square of the person's height—is between
25–30 kg/m2; BMIs above 30 kg/m2 are defined as
obese. Being overweight is especially common where
food supplies are plentiful and lifestyles are sedentary.

As of 2003, high BMIs reached high proportions

globally, with more than 1 billion adults being
considered overweight or obese.[1] In 2013, this
increased to more than 2 billion.[2] Increases have been The overweight range according to the body
observed across all age groups. mass index (BMI) is the area on the chart
where BMI > 25.
A healthy body requires fat for proper functioning of
Specialty Endocrinology
the hormonal, reproductive, and immune systems, as
thermal insulation, as shock absorption for sensitive
areas, and as energy for future use; however, the accumulation of too much storage fat can impair
movement and flexibility. Some people are naturally heavier and the body positivity movement has
worked to reduce body shaming and improve self-confidence amongst heavierset people.

At a basic and fundamental level, the treatments called for are diet and exercise. More extensive
treatment may involve support groups like Overeaters Anonymous and mental health treatment. The
degree to which treatment is necessary varies culturally and with a medical assessment of an unhealthy
weight, treatment has been facilitated by weight loss drugs like GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Classification
The degree to which a person is overweight is generally described by the
body mass index (BMI). Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 or more, Category[3] BMI (kg/m2)
thus it includes pre-obesity defined as a BMI between 25 and 29.9 and Underweight < 18.5
obesity as defined by a BMI of 30 or more.[4] Pre-obese and overweight Normal weight 18.5–24.9
however are often used interchangeably, thus giving overweight a
Overweight 25.0–29.9
common definition of a BMI of between 25 and 29.9. There are,
however, several other common ways to measure the amount of adiposity Obese ≥ 30.0
or fat present in an individual's body.

Body mass index

 The body mass index (BMI) is a measure of a person's weight taking into account their
height. It is given by the following formula: BMI equals a person's weight (mass) in
kilograms divided by the square of the person's height in meters. The units therefore are
kg/m2 but BMI measures are typically used and written without units.

BMI provides a significantly more accurate representation of body fat content than simply
measuring a person's weight. It is only moderately correlated with both body fat
percentage and body fat mass (R2 of 0.68).[5] It does not take into account certain factors
such as pregnancy or bodybuilding; however, the BMI is an accurate reflection of fat
percentage in the majority of the adult population.

Body volume index

The body volume index (BVI) was devised in 2000 as a computer, rather than manual,
measurement of the human body for obesity and an alternative to the BMI

BVI uses 3D software to create an accurate image of a person so BVI can differentiate
between people with the same BMI rating, but who have a different shape and different
weight distribution.
BVI measures where a person's weight and the fat are located on the body, rather than
total weight or total fat content and places emphasis on the weight carried around the
abdomen, commonly known as central obesity. There has been an acceptance in recent
years that abdominal fat and weight around the abdomen constitute a greater health
risk.[6]

Simple weighing

A person's weight 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.

Skinfold calipers or "pinch test"

The skin at several specific points on the body is pinched and the thickness of the
resulting fold is measured. This measures the thickness of the layers of fat located under
the skin, from which a general measurement of total amount of fat in the body is
calculated. This method can be reasonably accurate for many people, but it assumes
particular fat distribution patterns over the body—which may not apply to all individuals,
and does not account for fat deposits not directly under the skin. Also, as the
measurement and analysis generally involves a high degree of practice and interpretation,
an accurate result requires that a professional perform it. It cannot generally be done by
patients themselves.

Bioelectrical impedance analysis

A small electric current is passed through the body to measure its electrical resistance. As
fat and muscle conduct electricity differently, this method can provide a direct
measurement of the body fat percentage, in relation 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 testing kits that let people do this
themselves with a minimum of training. Despite the improved simplicity of this process
over the years, however, a number of factors can affect the results, including hydration
and body temperature, so it still needs some care when taking the test to ensure that the
results are accurate.
 Hydrostatic weighing

Considered one of the more accurate methods of measuring body fat, this technique
involves complete submersion of a person in water, with special equipment to measure
the person's weight while submerged. This weight is then compared with "dry weight" as
recorded outside the water to determine overall body density. As fat is less dense than
muscle, careful application of this technique can provide a reasonably close estimate of
fat content in the body. This technique does, however, require expensive specialized
equipment and trained professionals to administer it properly.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)

Originally developed to measure bone density, DEXA imaging is also used to precisely
determine body fat content by using the density of various body tissues to identify which
portions of the body are fat. This test is generally considered very accurate, but requires a
great deal of expensive medical equipment and trained professionals to perform.

The most common method for discussing this subject and the one used primarily by researchers and
advisory institutions is BMI. Definitions of what is considered overweight vary by ethnicity. The current
definition proposed by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization
(WHO) designates whites, Hispanics and blacks with a BMI of 25 or more as overweight. For Asians,
overweight is a BMI between 23 and 29.9 and obesity for all groups is a BMI of 30 or more.

BMI, however, does not account extremes of muscle mass, some rare genetic factors, the very young, and
a few other individual variations. Thus 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.[7] Some of the above methods for determining body fat are more accurate than BMI but are less
convenient to measure.

If an individual is overweight and has excess body fat it can create or lead to health risks. Reports are
surfacing, however, that being mildly overweight to slightly obese – BMI being between 24 and 31.9 –
may be actually beneficial and that people with a BMI between 24 and 31.9 could actually live longer
than normal weight or underweight persons.[8][9]

Health effects
While some negative health outcomes associated with obesity are accepted within the medical
community, the health implications of the overweight category are more controversial.

A 2016 review estimated that the risk of death increases by seven percent among overweight people with
a BMI of 25 to 27.5 and 20 percent among overweight people with a BMI of 27.5 to 30.[10] Katherine
Flegal et al., however, found that the mortality rate for individuals who are classified as overweight (BMI
25 to 29.9) may actually be lower than for those with an "ideal" weight (BMI 18.5 to 24.9), noting that
many studies show that the lowest mortality rate is at a BMI close to 25.[11][12] The specific conclusions
appear to depend on what other factors are controlled for,[10] and Flegal has accordingly alleged that the
findings from the 2016 review are driven by bias toward preconceived opinions.[13]
Being overweight directly increases the risk of type-II diabetes.[14] Being overweight has been identified
as a risk factor for cancer, and Walter Willett predicts that being overweight will overtake smoking as the
primary cause of cancer in developed countries as cases of smoking-related cancer dwindle.[15] Being
overweight also increases the risk of oligospermia and azoospermia in men.[16]

Psychological well-being is also at risk in the overweight individual due to social discrimination.
Additionally it has been found that people who are overweight are at an increased risk for developing
mental disorders such as panic disorder, depression and bipolar disorder while those who are already
suffering from a mental illness are also more likely to become overweight themselves.[17]

Being overweight has been shown not to increase mortality in older people: in a study of 70 to 75-year
old Australians, mortality was lowest for "overweight" individuals (BMI 25 to 29.9),[18] while a study of
Koreans found that, among those initially aged 65 or more, an increase in BMI to above 25 was not
associated with increased risk of death.[19]

Causes
Being overweight is generally caused by the intake of
more calories (by eating) than are expended by the
body (by exercise and everyday activity). Factors that
may contribute to this imbalance include:

Alcoholism
Eating disorders (such as binge eating)
Genetic predisposition
Hormonal imbalances (e.g. hypothyroidism)
Insufficient or poor-quality sleep
Limited physical exercise and a sedentary
lifestyle
Poor nutrition
Metabolic disorders, which could be caused
by repeated attempts to lose weight by
weight cycling
Overeating Belly of overweight teenage male
Psychotropic medication (e.g. olanzapine)
Smoking cessation and other stimulant
withdrawal
Stress
People who have insulin dependent diabetes and chronically overdose insulin may gain weight, while
people who already are overweight may develop insulin tolerance, and in the long run develop type II
diabetes.

Treatment
The usual treatments for overweight individuals is diet and physical exercise.
Dietitians generally recommend eating several balanced meals dispersed through the day, with a
combination of progressive, primarily aerobic, physical exercise. In fact, some research found benefits
from physical activity, diet and behaviour changes on BMI in children from 12 to 17 years old.[20]

Considering that most of the treatment strategies are directed to change lifestyle-related behaviours of
individuals (namely in dietary and physical activity), the transtheoretical model (TTM) has been used as a
framework to design weight management interventions. A systematic review assessed the effectiveness of
dietary and physical activity interventions based on the TTM in producing sustainable (one year or
longer) weight loss in overweight and obese adults. The included studies did not allow to produce
conclusive evidence about the impact of the use of this model combined with these interventions on
sustainable weight loss. Nevertheless, very low quality scientific evidence suggests that this approach
may lead to improvements in physical activity and dietary habits, namely increased in both exercise
duration and frequency, and fruits and vegetables consumption, along with reduced dietary fat intake.[21]

Epidemiology
The World Health Organization
(WHO) estimated that nearly 2 billion
adults worldwide, aged 18 years and
older, were overweight in 2016.[4]

According to the National Health and

Nutrition Examination Survey
(NHANES), an estimated 71.6% of
the United States' adult population
aged 20 and over is considered either
overweight or obese, and this
percentage has increased over the last
four decades.[22]
Share of men defined as overweight
According to the World Obesity
Federation's 2023 atlas, it predicts that
51% of the world will be overweight or obese by 2035. The report also found that most countries
expecting to see a large increase in obesity are predominantly low or middle-income countries.[23][24]

See also
Body image
Underweight
Fat acceptance movement
Physical attractiveness
Big Beautiful Woman (BBW)

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External links
WHO fact sheet on obesity and overweight ([Link]
11/en/)

Retrieved from "[Link]