How Does Being Overweight Affect Health?

Being overweight is the result of a disturbance inof fat tissue but merely serves as a means for
metabolism and energy balance. You are in a positivecomparing persons in terms of overweight or
energy balance if the amount of energy obtained fromunderweight. The BMI value does not distinguish
food exceeds the consumption of energy in the basicbetween muscular and fat tissue. Thus, a weight-lifter
vital functions of the body an din physical activity duringmay have a BMI value which indicates obesity although
leisure and at work. That is, you are eating more thanthe person only as large muscles and little fat tissue.
what you are consuming by physical activity.To make this distinction, the thickness of the skinfolds
Although being overweight in itself is not always aon the trunk and limbs should be measured. The Body
health risk, obesity is often associated with variousMass Index is, however, a reliable means of estimating
diseases affecting metabolism, circulation anda person's relative weight, with the exclusion of
locomotive system. Hypertension, hypercholesterolemiastrength-training athletes.
and hyperglycemia, coronary artery disease, and kneeThis classification is based on follow-up information on
and hip osteoarthritis will impair one's functionalweight and weight-associated illnesses gathered over
capacity, working ability and quality of life.a number of years in connection with population
Who is overweight?surveys.
Overweight concerns the presence of excessiveThe same classification applies to both men and
amounts of fat tissue in the body. The mostwomen. Calculated in this way, a man 170 cm tall will
convenient way to determine whether a person isbe normal if he weighs 54-72 kg, moderately
overweight is to use the Body Mass Index, BMI. Thisoverweight at 73-87 kg and significantly overweight if
value is obtained by dividing the weight (in kilograms) ofhe exceeds 87 kg, while the corresponding figures of
the person by the square of the person's height (ina woman 160 cm tall would be 48-64 kg, 65-77 kg and
meters).over 77 kg. This means that you do not have the
BMI = Weight (kg) / (Height x Height (meters))figure of a supermodel to stay within the normal
For example, a 60-kilogram woman with a height ofweight range considered to bear no risks to your
160 centimeters has a BMI value of:health. Polar A5 heart rate monitor includes BMI
60 (kg) / (1.6 x 1.6 (meters)) = 23.4calculation and interpretation.
The body mass index does not describe the amount