Differences between overweight and obesity
Currently, overweight and obesity have become a public health problem in many countries, for which many governments have been forced to adopt some policies and measures to try to combat the problem. Likewise, although it is true that the mortality rate associated with obesity and overweight has been increasing in recent decades, it is still common not to know the real differences between these two terms and since it is very useful and important to know, We show them in this article.
Overweight
It is acceptable to say that overweight is when a person has a weight gain above a reference standard for him. Generally, this standard considers factors such as the height, age and sex of the person being evaluated. To do this, a formula is used to calculate the reference value.
So, the reference value is the result of dividing the weight of the person expressed in kilos, divided by the height in meters, squared. This result will indicate what is known as the BMI or the body mass index. Therefore, an overweight person is stipulated to have a body mass index value between 25 and 29.9.
Obesity
Obesity is considered as a disease that is differentiated by weight gain due to excessive accumulation of fat in a person’s body. When a person has some degree of obesity, it means that the amount of fat stored in the body has increased to a level that puts the person’s health at risk.
A person with obesity can be considered one who has a body mass index above 30. Obesity is often associated with the excessive consumption of calories with respect to the amount of calories that the body requires according to the geographical location in which the person is. However, there are also genetic factors that influence metabolism and predispose people to obesity. However, obesity can be treated and prevented.
It is useful to summarize the most outstanding differences between overweight and obesity in the following table .
| Overweight | Obesity |
| It is a physical state in which a person weighs more than what can be considered normal, taking into account height, sex and age. | It is a disease in which a person has excess weight associated with an accumulation of excessive fat in the body. |
| In an overweight person, not necessarily excess weight, represents an increased risk of health problems. | If you are an obese person, the excess weight associated with the accumulation of body fat exceeds a limit where the person’s health is put at risk. |
| An overweight person may experience symptoms like hypertension, lower joint pain, depression, etc. | An obese person is exposed to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, even some types of cancer, etc. |
| Generally, being overweight is due to consuming more food than the body needs, combined with a sedentary lifestyle. | Like being overweight, excess food consumption has an influence, although the person’s genetics, stress and lifestyle, etc., can also influence it. |
| It can be treated with a balanced diet and regular exercise. | It can be treated with diet and exercise. However, depending on the degree of obesity and the risk to the person’s health, surgery or liposuction may be considered. |
