Being overweight or obese raises the risk of many chronic diseases and it also places stress on the back and joints, which can contribute to chronic pain. Health care providers use tools such as body weight, body mass index, or BMI, waist measurement and the existence of other risk factors to determine when and what type of treatment is best to help a patient lose weight. This is especially important in the case of morbid obesity, which may necessitate medication and or surgery.
Identification
BMI, or body mass index, is not a direct measure of body fat but rather an estimate of percent of body fat. It is calculated for adults using height and weight, and the results provide an initial indication of risk for disease when used along with other assessments. To calculate BMI, divide weight in pounds by height in inches squared and then multiply by a conversion factor of 703.
Classifications
A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. Once BMI reaches 40, morbid obesity is diagnosed. A BMI of 40 would identify someone who weighs 235 and is 5 feet 4 inches tall or someone who weighs 280 and is 5 feet 10 inches tall.
Limitations
Since BMI does not directly measure body fat, at times BMI can be high in someone who is not actually overweight. Two people can have the same BMI but different body fat percentages. Athletes or weight lifters may have a high BMI due to a large amount of muscle mass, yet have a low percentage of body fat. However, in most cases a BMI of 30 or more usually indicates excess body fat. Individuals with a body mass index of over 30 should take steps to lose excess weight. The good news is that losing just 5 to 10 percent of your current weight can reduce the risk of disease.
Considerations
Along with BMI, the Centers for Disease Control recommends examining other risk factors to determine how likely you are to develop obesity-related health problems. These risk factors are smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, eating an unhealthy diet, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Since carrying excess weight around the middle appears to make the risk of disease even higher, nonpregnant women should aim to keep waist size under 35 inches and men should keep the waist size under 40 inches. Dividing waist measurement by hip measurement provides waist-to-hip ratio. A waist-to-hip ratio of greater than 0.9 for men and 0.8 for women also raises the risk of disease.
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