Although it is not the main purpose of this paper to present how overweight and obesity is
determined in the health sciences, yet it will help to lay a better foundation for understanding the issue.
A commonly used metric to classify human body weight is body mass index, or BMI, which is calculated by using the following formula:
where W is the weight in kilograms and H in metres.
The cut-off points are 25 and 30. Adults with a BMI of between 25 and 29.9 are classified as overweight, and 30 and above as obese (CDC, 2008a). However, BMI is calculated differently for children and teens because the amount of body fat differs between boys and girls and changes with age. Hence, BMI for children and teens is often referred to as BMI-for-age. When the BMI-for-age falls within the 85th to less than the 95th percentile, the child is considered to be overweight. When the BMI-for-age is equal to or greater than the 95th percentile, the child is considered to be obese (CDC, 2008b).
Reference
CDC (2008a). Defining Overweight and Obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/defining.htm.
CDC (2008b). About BMI for Children and Teens. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/childrens_BMI/about_childrens_BMI.htm
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