Dr. Ponce

Obesity is determined by measurement of body fat, not merely body weight. People might be over the weight limit for normal standards, but if they are very muscular with low body fat, they are not obese. Others might be normal or underweight, but still have excessive body fat. Different measurements and factors are used to determine whether or not a person is overweight to the degree that it threatens health:

• Body mass index ( BMI ) (a measure of body fat).
• Waist circumference.
• Waist-hip ratio.
• Anthropometry.
• The presence or absence of other disease risk factors (e.g., smoking, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, diabetes, relatives with heart disease) in addition to obesity. (Such risk factors plus BMI may be the most important components in determining health risks with weight.)

Your body mass index (BMI) is a simple math calculation that determines your weight-to-height ratio. You can learn your own BMI by entering your height and weight in the spaces below. Based on the information you provide, the calculator will then ascertain your BMI using the formula lbs/inches2. It can also give you information about extent of the risk factors that may be associated with your calculated BMI