2011•Unpublished venueRequires access
Obesity and overweight
Leilani Johnston
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Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines obesity and overweight as excessive fat accumulation that presents a health risk. Body mass index (BMI) is used in the classification of patients as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese (see Table I). BMIs are calculated in the same way, irrespective of age or sex, and should be used as a rough guide only, as they do not always correspond to the same degree of overweight or obesity in different individuals. BMI can be calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of the height in metres, i.e. kg/m 2 . For example, the calculation for a person weighing 72 kg and who is 1.72 m tall would be: 72 kg/(1.72 m) 2 = BMI of 24.3 kg/m 2 .