One of the simple method for measuring body fat are the skinfold test, in which a pinch of skin is precisely measured to determine the thickness of the subcutaneous fat layer.

It is important to know whether you are obese or not by using these few indicators. Measure your obesity level and you will know how is your weight loss going.

Obesity is normally termed as body condition that exceeds healthy limits. How to know whether you obesed? There is one indicator named body mass index. Body mass index is calculated as weight in kg divided by height in metre square. Obesity is termed as BMI of more than 30 kg/m2. You can calculate your body mass index right now! Easy right?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is classified as followed:

A BMI less than 18.5 is underweight.

A BMI of 18.5 – 24.9 is normal weight.

A BMI of 25.0 – 29.9 is overweight

A BMI of 30.0 – 39.9 is obese.

A BMI of 40.0 or higher is severe (or morbidly) obese.

A BMI of 35.0 or higher in the presence of at least one another significant comorbidity is also classified by some bodies as morbid obesity.

In a clinical setting, physicians take into account race, ethnicity, lean mass (muscularity), age, sex, and other factors which can affect the interpretation of BMI. BMI overestimates body fat in persons who are very muscular, and it can underestimate body fat in persons who have lost body mass (e.g. many elderly). Mild obesity as defined by BMI alone is not a cardiac risk factor, and hence BMI cannot be used as a sole clinical and epidemiological predictor of cardiovascular health. The others indicators for obesity included waist circumference and body fat measurement.

Tomorrow, I am going to discuss about others indicator. Do not forget to visit this post again!