Obesity

Many people weigh more than they should. Doctors call them overweight. When a person is extremely fat, doctors call the condition obesity. Anyone who is about 15 or more pounds heavier than his desirable weight is considered overweight. People who are more than 30 or 40 pounds heavier than they should be are considered obese.
Desirable weight is an individual thing. It may be described as the weight at which a person both looks and feels his best. Desirable weight also depends on a person’s height, bone structure, and muscular development.
Because no two people are alike, weight tables cannot show with complete accuracy exactly what every individual should weigh. The tables shown here are given as a guide rather than as a rigid standard to which everyone should conform. They show desirable weights for men and women at age 25 and over. By this age, most people have stopped growing. After a person is fully grown and has reached his best weight, he should not gain ...