What’s the Difference Between Overweight and Obese?

What’s the Difference Between Overweight and Obese?

chart showing what's the difference between overweight and obese via BMI
The numbers here are slightly off from what the CDC’s classifications. See below for current percentages. (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 121105808 Copyright: MIKHAIL GRACHIKOV)

What’s the difference between overweight and obese? Is there a difference? And what does morbid obesity mean?

First of all, there is a difference between overweight and obese. It depends on the percentage of body fat an individual carries. This comes from a person’s body mass index (BMI). BMI is a calculation of an individual’s height and weight that figures the percentage of body fat in comparison to bones and other tissues, like muscle.

For adults, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) lists the breakdown as follows:

  • If your BMI is 18.5 to <25, it falls within the normal range.
  • If your BMI is 25.0 to <30, it falls within the overweight range.
  • If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obese range.

And the obese range is further broken down as follows:

  • Class 1: BMI of 30 to < 35
  • Class 2: BMI of 35 to < 40
  • Class 3: BMI of 40 or higher. Class 3 obesity is sometimes categorized as “morbid,” “extreme” or “severe” obesity.

Secondly, as you can see in the last class for obesity, morbid obesity is a real thing and it basically means anyone who is carrying 100 pounds or more beyond what their normal weight should be. The weight of these individuals causes extreme health conditions, strain on the body and organs, and poses and immediate danger to their lives.

For most of us however, we underestimate our situation. Generally speaking, when we ask what’s the difference between overweight and obese, we certainly don’t think we’re obese. We don’t realize what our situation actually is until we do the calculation. The math behind it is:

Weight (LBS) x 703 ÷ Height (Inches²)

Or, if you hate math, you can use an online BMI calculator.

Here’s the thing with our own guesstimations…we never think we’re as bad off as we actually are. Case in point, a coworker noticed how I was losing weight and asked what I was doing. She said she wasn’t THAT overweight but knew she had some to lose. I put her in touch with my trainer and meal planner and part of her requirement is photos. Front, side, and back images in a sports bra and shorts. My coworker took the photos and was stunned by what she saw. What she guessed was 24% (the high end of normal) was actually 28% (the high end of overweight) for her height. Four percent makes a big difference.

Why such a huge miscalculation?

Well, first of all, most of us aren’t educated in what healthy body weight looks like, or rather what unhealthy body weight looks like. Secondly, we glance at ourselves every day in the mirror and gradually become accustomed to what we see. Put that together with comparing ourselves to bigger and heavier coworkers or friends and family members and you think you’re doing okay. You’re not as bad off as they are after all. This was very true where we worked where some women topped out at 400-500 lbs. Naturally, she didn’t think she was doing too badly in comparison.

BMI does not measure body fat directly, but it is a fairly accurate ballpark number. If you want specifics there are skinfold calipers (but you have to know how to use it), underwater body fat testing, bioelectrical impedance testing, dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, and other methods. They’re probably expensive and I’m almost positive that insurance companies won’t cover them. I’ve never been led astray with an online BMI calculator and my doctors have agreed with those calculations. The important thing to keep in mind is that once you fall into the overweight category, you run the risk of chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, with in turn lead to things like heart attack, stroke, and so on.

And for the record, no, I don’t agree with body shaming, but the risks are clear.

It’s about being healthy and it is absolutely not healthy to be overweight, much less obese. It’s science. Your body can only take so much abuse. That being said, according to the CDC, over two thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight to obese (over a third in each category) and those numbers are rising. The U.S. has never had such high cases of childhood obesity and diabetes as we do now.

So, if you know the health risks and don’t care, then that’s fine, too. If you know that lifestyle leads to a much shorter lifespan and are okay with those risks, then live your life to the fullest. It’s your life.

Now keep in mind, the BMI doesn’t always give you the whole picture. In the case of many athletes, their BMI is way under 18%, which is considered underweight. On the flip side, body builders weigh more because muscle weighs more. In my case, 5’4” and 145 lbs puts my BMI at 24.8%, which is borderline overweight. Obviously, I’m not. I had people telling me all the time that I was too skinny and didn’t believe I weighed 145. But I bring it up to illustrate the point. If you just want to get into the healthy range, BMI is a great tool. If you’re a serious athlete, then you’ll know to be aware of the limitations of BMI calculators and perhaps switch to other testing methods, like a skinfold caliper (relatively cheap).

So, what’s the difference between overweight and obese? Not much. Just a few percentage points that have serious consequences.