Obese, How to Tell if You're

By the most commonly used definition, you are "obese" if you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30, and "overweight" if your BMI is 25 to 30. (Being overweight does not pose a significant health risk until you reach a BMI of 27, however.)

Your BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height in meters. You don't have to do this calculation yourself, though¾you can either use the Ideal Weight Calculator (which automatically computes your BMI) or consult this table.

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Last Modified: 7/1/07