What Weight is Considered Obese
The human body has amazing resiliency and one of the more impressive parts of that is just how strong and sturdy the human skeleton is. It can – and does – take a pounding and most people enjoy a skeletal structure that has an impressive record for doing what it does. But even the strongest of structures have their limit. Sure, the very heaviest of people aren’t going to have their legs bones ‘buckling’ under the weight but there is still a lot of potential harm that comes when there’s too much weight being supported. The people who will be most at this risk are the ones who are severely overweight, or experiencing obesity. But what weight is considered obese?
The heaviest human ever recorded was an American man named Jon Minnoch, and at his heaviest before he passed away in 1983 he weighed more than 635kg (1,400lbs). That’s a staggering number for sure, and especially when you remember that works out to more than 1 TON of weight. Heavier than most subcompact motor vehicles? Yep. But one thing that we should make clear before we move on here is that just because a person is overweight doesn’t mean they are in poor health. That’s a misconception, but with obesity it’s not inaccurate at all. There are many different health risks related to obesity, and most people will know of the one that is the biggest risk – heart failure.
Expansiveness means just that, a lot of expanse. When we’re talking about a person’s body the more expanse there is to it, the harder the heart has to work to pump blood the furthest reaches of it. Ones that are, plainly, really far and this is the simplistic explanation as to why an obese person is going to have major cardiac health risks. And let’s get another misconception out of the way here too, for a lot of people struggling with extreme weight gain the act of eating way less isn’t going to be a fix. Often a medication like Xenical is what will make the biggest difference then.
Right, we haven’t answered the question here around what weight is considered obese. We know that that the late Mr. Minnoch would have qualified and then some, but what about others who may only be a few hundred pounds or less overweight? A career in pro wrestling may be a boat that has long since sailed, but there is something that can be done to provide a definitive answer to this.
Not Plain Numbers
Truth is it’s not practical for us to give you an exact number for what weight is considered obese. Or at least it is better to understand that obesity is determined by measuring kilograms. Instead that determination is made based on a person’s body mass index (BMI), which is a calculation that takes into consideration your weight, height, and age to come up with a number for you.
- Normal BMI – between 18.5 and 25
- Overweight BMI – between 25 and 30
- Obese BMI – 30 and up
Now we don’t know what kind of BMI John Minnoch would have had, but it certainly would have been well north of 30. Was his bird fat? That we don’t know, but we can also assume that was probably the case too.
Obesity does affect men more than women, and that is as much due to physiology as it is to the different abilities to overeat between the two genders. But these days there are more obese women than ever before, and to that end research has shown that around the world there are only 5% fewer obese women than there are men.
Causes and Associated Risks
Some people are more prone to excessive weight gain than others based on their physiology, and in this way the propensity for becoming obese can be something you inherit from your family. But as if often the case inherited poor diet and lifestyle choice are an equal factor. Foods that are high in fats, sugars, and or high-fructose corn syrup are the loading of the gun that can lead to massive and harmful weight gain at some point in the future.
Diet, genetics, social standing and home environment can be factors in this too, but the single biggest contribute besides food choices is chronic inactivity. That said, one of the things that affects even slim people is the way that a person’s metabolic rate declines as they age. It’s natural for most people to experience weight gain in their 30s, but for a person who’s at more risk of obesity this metabolism drop may be a lot more harmful.
Last but not least with what weight is considered obese, the risks associated with it. We talked about cardiovascular diseases, but musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritis and many different types of cancers caused by obesity are also possible. Plenty of reason to slim down as best you can? Definitely.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.
