Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of greater than or equal to 30 kilograms per meters squared (kg/m2; “meters” meaning a person’s height). The categories are designated as follows:[1]
| BMI | Category |
|---|---|
| 25–29.9 | overweight |
| 30–34.9 | class I obesity |
| 35–39.9 | class II obesity |
| ≥40 | class III obesity |
While BMI is a generally useful measurement at the population level, because it only accounts for total body mass, individuals who are tall and/or muscular may have a BMI that qualifies as “obese”. As such, it’s useful to factor other measures like body fat percentage into an evaluation of whether someone has obesity.[2]
References
- ^Jensen MD, Ryan DH, Apovian CM, Ard JD, Comuzzie AG, Donato KA, Hu FB, Hubbard VS, Jakicic JM, Kushner RF, Loria CM, Millen BE, Nonas CA, Pi-Sunyer FX, Stevens J, Stevens VJ, Wadden TA, Wolfe BM, Yanovski SZ, Jordan HS, Kendall KA, Lux LJ, Mentor-Marcel R, Morgan LC, Trisolini MG, Wnek J, Anderson JL, Halperin JL, Albert NM, Bozkurt B, Brindis RG, Curtis LH, DeMets D, Hochman JS, Kovacs RJ, Ohman EM, Pressler SJ, Sellke FW, Shen WK, Smith SC Jr, Tomaselli GF, American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines, Obesity Society2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and The Obesity SocietyCirculation.(2014 Jun 24)
- ^Bray GABeyond BMI.Nutrients.(2023-May-10)