Am I Overweight Or Obese? What's The Difference?
This is a topic I want to write about. There’s a thin line between the two and the doctors are being pushed into putting their patients into categories. Information that used to be between you and your doctor use to be confidential, but today the insurance companies want to know what the doctors know about you. The way insurance companies charge you for insurance is changing. Remember before you dismiss this article, more than half of adult Americans are overweight. Personally, I’m talking to each of my doctors to find out how much of my info they share with the government and insurance companies because I know your insurance company is sharing too. Read below and see if your in one of these categories. Then ask your doctor what your real weight should be, the charts are changing.
Doctors usually define "overweight" as a condition in which a person's weight is 10%-20% higher than "normal," as defined by a standard height/weight chart, or as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30.
Obesity is usually defined as a condition in which a person's weight is 20% or more above normal weight or as a BMI of 30 or more. "Morbid obesity" means a person is either 50%-100% over normal weight, more than 100 pounds over normal weight, or sufficiently overweight to severely interfere with health or normal functioning.
Approximately 60 million Americans, nearly one-third of all adults and about one in five children, are obese. In 2008, only one state -- Colorado -- had an obesity rate of less than 20%.
There are several tests that can be performed to determine if you are overweight or obese. But, measuring the exact amount of a person's body fat is not an easy task. Some tests are more accurate than others.
What Tests Are Available to Diagnose Obesity?
Hydrostatic body fat test.
Unfortunately, these methods, however accurate, are not practical for the average person and are generally done only in research centers with special equipment. As a result, doctors have developed easier methods to determine if a person is overweight or obese. These include:
Calipers.
Bioelectrical Impedance, or BIA.
Height/weight charts.
Body mass index.
So, as you probably have figured out, calculating your percentage of body fat is a lot of guesswork.
Don’t dwell on it. Changing your eating habits and activity level will reduce your body fat over time. It’s not something you can do in a few months. I will say that in a few months you will see a difference. You have to stay with the program. If you go back to the old ways that caused you to gain weight, then you will start to gain weight again.
Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.
If you really want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You'll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books.
There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. Look for my book. at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.
My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page.
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