SHARE

How to Know if You're Obese

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
How to Know if You're Obese

Being overweight or obese can seriously affect your health and increase the chances of diseases that affect the heart, blood pressure, bone health and cholesterol as well as affecting the proper functioning of your vital organs. There are different ways to know if you're obese and at OneHowTo.com we'll help you establish if you're suffering from this condition.

If you continue reading, you'll find out how to know if you're obese. We'll provide some simple, informative tips that will help you to determine your current state of health.

Estimate your BMI

One of the most reliable ways to know if you're obese, is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). In other words, measure the amount of body fat you have in terms of your weight and height.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends using the BMI calculation to determine the amount of body fat that each person has. It's a very simple and practical formula to help people know whether they suffer from the physical condition of being overweight or obese.

The way to calculate your BMI is very simple. Just divide your weight (in kilograms) with your height in meters squared. For example, if your height is 1.65cm and your weight is 65kg, use the following formula:

  • 65/(1.65 X 1.65) = 24 BMI (or if you prefer to use stones and pounds, do the conversion online, using the same formula).

In the attached photo, refer to the table of results to check your BMI. In the above example, a BMI of 24 is considered to be within the normal range and isn't considered to be overweight.

How to Know if You're Obese - Estimate your BMI

Measuring the circumference of your waist

Another way to determine if you're obese is to use a measuring tape. Place it below the ribs, at the point where the waist begins, take note of the measurement and compare it with the table below:

  • You're classified as healthy if: You're a man and your waist is less than 94 cm (34 in) or you're a woman and your waist is less than 80 cm (31 in)
  • You're slightly overweight if: You're a man and your waist is between 94 cm and 102 cm (34 in to 40 in) or you're a woman and your waist is between 80 cm and 88 cm (31 in to 34.6 in).
  • You're obese if: You're a man and your waist is larger than 102 cm (40 in) or you're a woman and your waist is larger than 88 cm (34.6 in).
How to Know if You're Obese - Measuring the circumference of your waist

The consequences of obesity

Obesity is a physical disease that can lead to serious health problems ranging from fatigue to restricted functioning of the vital organs. Among the most serious consequences of obesity are the following:

  • Onset of type 2 diabetes
  • Onset of high blood pressure
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Greater risk of colon, gastrointestinal and breast cancers

If you're obese, it's important that you consult with a doctor to change your lifestyle habits and make healthier choices, such as eating a balanced diet and exercising every day, which are best the ways to be healthy.

How to Know if You're Obese - The consequences of obesity

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Know if You're Obese, we recommend you visit our Family health category.

Write a comment

What did you think of this article?
How to Know if You're Obese
1 of 4
How to Know if You're Obese

Back to top ↑