How-To Determine If You Are Overweight

If you are wondering how to determine if you are overweight, please read on.

The answer to this question can be complicated as it involves both personal perceptions as well as medical data and considerations. As far as personal perception goes, it is simple. If you don’t feel good about how you look, walk, or function then you are likely to be overweight, period. It’s really that simple.

In scientific and medical terms there are concrete ways to determine whether or not your are overweight.

Body Weight Chart

In medical terms you are overweight if you weigh more than your recommended body weight range in the chart on the right. No remember that this is just a guideline. There are other considerations, such as muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are over the weight chart guidelines and you have a lot of muscle, then you maybe in perfect weight health. Though if you are reading this article it is likely that you are not a muscle builder, and so those ranges can be pretty accurate as far as determining weight loss issues.

BMI Index

Height	Weight without clothes
4’10”	91-118
4’11”	94-123
5’0”	97-127
5’1”	101-131
5’2”	104-136
5’3”	107-140
5’4”	111-145
5’5”	114-149
5’6”	118-154
5’7”	121-159
5’8”	125-163
5’9”	129-168
5’10”	132-173
5’11”	136-178
6’0”	140-183
6’1”	144-188
6’2”	148-194
6’3”	152-199
6’4”	156-204

Another good measure of weight is the Body Mass Index (BMI) table below. This measures the percentage of your body weight that is due to fat.

The calculations are derived by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. In algebraic terms, it is: BMI = Kg / (m)2.

Reading Ratings

Ratings between 26 and 30 are considered overweight, and ratings between 20 and 25 are considered healthy.

Some of the counts in the BMI index are not considered accurate because they do not take into account the muscle mass for versus body fat for individuals.

That’s why body measurements are checked as well. A waist measurement of more than 35 inches in women and more than 40 inches in men is considered high.

Obesity

People are considered obese if they weigh more than 20% of their recommended body weight range. The range given is actually quite wide, and takes into account a variety of body types. Some people maybe thick, big boned, and weigh on the higher end of the chart, but still look and feel great.

A BMI range from 30-39 is considered obesity.

Morbid Obesity

Anything over 100 pounds over the recommended weight range or a BMI over 40 is considered to be morbidly obese.

Body Mass Index (BMI) Chart

Ht.	4′ 10″	4′ 11″	5′ 0″	5′ 1″	5′ 2″	5′ 3″	5′ 4″	5′ 5″	5′ 6″	5′ 7″	5′ 8″	5′ 9″	5′ 10″	5′ 11″	6′ 0″	6′ 1″	6′ 2″	6′ 3″	6′ 4″
Wt.
100	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	14	14	14	13	13	13	12
105	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	16	16	16	15	15	14	14	14	13	13
110	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	15	14	14	13
115	24	23	23	22	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	14	14
120	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16	15	15	15
125	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	18	18	17	17	17	16	16	15
130	27	26	25	25	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16	16
135	28	27	26	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	19	19	18	18	17	17	16
140	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	20	19	19	18	18	17
145	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	23	23	22	21	21	20	20	19	19	18	18
150	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19	18
155	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	20	20	19	19
160	34	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21	20	20
165	35	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21	20
170	36	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	22	22	21	21
175	37	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23	22	21
180	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23	22
185	39	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23	23
190	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24	23
195	41	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	27	27	26	25	24	24
200	42	40	39	38	37	36	34	33	32	31	30	30	29	28	27	26	26	25	24
205	43	41	40	39	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29	28	27	26	26	25
210	44	43	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29	28	27	26	26
215	45	44	42	41	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27	26
220	46	45	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	28	28	27
225	47	46	44	43	41	40	39	38	36	35	34	33	32	31	31	30	29	28	27
230	48	47	45	44	42	41	40	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	30	29	28
235	49	48	46	44	43	42	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29	29
240	50	49	47	45	44	43	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32	31	30	29

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services

Filed Under Tools and Calculators, Weight Loss Tips

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