Do I look OBESE? Pic included

[letmehaveathink]

So apparently I’m obese according to the NHS website. I definitely have a belly but I don’t feel obese! What do you think? I’m worried I’m deluded!

Not at all no.

But it does, I was at the overweight category and stayed there yet lost many inches and dropped to a dress size 8-10. I looked slim, arguably I personally think that's I was a small dress size and literally wore a small but BMI was telling me I was overweight.

That may be the case but as I’m smack in the middle of the healthy BMI range I don’t have any skin in that game and I can still see that it’s severely lacking as a standalone tool.

You’re not obese statistically at that weight. I’m the same height practically and over a stone heavier since having my kids and the last one only recently. I’m only just into the obese category although I hold the vast majority of my weight in my hips and down. BTW, I look much bigger than you! You don’t look obese at all because you aren’t.

No it hasn't and OP is probably obese. I am too. The problem is, we have normalized being overweight. Even clothes sizes have subtlety enlarged to accommodate us over the years, and influencers tell us we can be Healthy At Any Size. (Spoiler- we can't).

Forget dress sizes.
They are meaningless and vary hugely between brands.

40 years ago a size 10 was 34 bust 24 waist and 34 hips.

Now, dress sizes have 'grown' along with people's weight.
A size 10 waist now is often 29- 30 inches.

People think obese is 400 lbs etc but it isn't like that for the majority.

@letmehaveathink is that a cocker spaniel?

Overweight but not obese I’d say

Obese isn't a look, it's a BMI count of 30 or over. If that's you, yes, you are obese. It's a medical term, not an insult, and it doesn't start at those enormous sizes you're thinking of.

It doesn't mean ugly, or worthless, or unlovable, or anything like that. It's a medical term.

I know roughly what it looks like as I was once there myself so yes, I'm not surprised you are obese or near to it because I know it isn't necessarily enormous and you can be obese and be a very ordinary size (when I was obese I was size 16 at 5'7". Not slim, obviously, but nobody ever gave me a second glance, I didn't stand out). But it's nothing to do with beauty or a subjective look. It's BMI, nothing more, nothing less. You can be attractive, happy, successful and obese, but reducing your BMI can improve your health.

I am talking about years ago.
Trust me, I wasn’t anyway near being obese

Not obese at all lovely. I am 5 ft 4 and a half, and according to certain weight-charts, I should be between 8 stone 3 and 9 stone 2, and at almost 12 stone 12, I am a big fat bloater who can be seen from space.

Truth is, at 8 stone something I look gaunt and quite ill. At 9 stone 3 - to 10 stone 5 I look just right, but the charts say I am 'overweight.' At 10 stone 5 - to 11 stone 3, I still look OK, maybe a bit curvier! Yet, the charts call me FAT... Just so FAT. (At 10 stone 5 to 11 stone 3.)

I am now obese obviously at 12 stone 12. 🙄

I think it all comes down to how you hold it, both for looks and health, I’m roughly same height and 9.5 but I look much bigger than you, I hold it all on my stomach

You're not though, as everyone keeps trying to tell you
If the weight and height you've given earlier is correct then you are in the overweight category.

It's hard to tell because you've got your hands across your belly and are wearing baggy clothes anyway.

I always think boobs must have a lot of weight to them. If you are large of nork maybe take that into account?

The NHS calculator says you are overweight , not obese.

Have you tried maybe growing a few inches?

@SpunkyKoala that body roundness thing is strange - calculator put me in the healthy zone but my BMI is 33.4 🤔

That height and weight is not obese according to the NHS BMI calculator. And you dont look obese either. A few lbs overweight.

Thanks to whoever mentioned the BRI. According to that, I’m healthy, despite the fact my BMI says I’m overweight. I’ve always suspected as much.

No, you don't look obese. Is that a cairn terrier? I've got 2

You don’t look obese and you’re not obese. What a fuss about nothing.

Having filled in the NHS website check with your details (clicking ‘white’ for ethnicity) you are overweight but not obese.

The NHS calculator changes the BMI category depending on OP's ethnicity. It could still be obese even though you'rs is just overweight if you are both different ethnicities.

I’m 5ft 2 and had the shock of my life when I was told I was obese at 11st. I was a size 12 and obese!

Us shorties just can’t carry much extra weight.

I don’t think you LOOK obese OP but then neither did I, but I was.

You are not obese but you are overweight