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Measuring a person's body fat
percentage can be difficult, therefore, other
methods are relied on to diagnose obesity. Two
widely used methods are weight-for-height tables and
body mass index (BMI). While both measurements have
their limitations, they are reasonable indicators
that someone may have a weight problem. The
calculations are easy, see below.
Most people are familiar with
weight-for-height tables. Doctors and nurses
have used these tables for decades to determine if
someone is overweight. The tables usually have a
range of acceptable weights for a person of a
given height.
One small problem with using these
tables is that doctors disagree over which is the
best table to use. Several versions are available.
Many have different weight ranges, and some tables
account for a person's frame size, age and sex,
while other tables do not.
A grave limitation of all
weight-for-height tables is that they do not
distinguish between excess fat and muscle. A very
muscular person may appear obese, according to the
tables, when he or she in fact is not. |
