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!

Are you sure those measurements put you in the obese category? In the pic you look similar build to me. I’m heavier than you but also taller so I would guess similar BMI. But I’m overweight rather than obese.

Edit … I see that someone said your BMI is 28 which is overweight not obese … yes I think mine is about 27.5.

Grace? What does that mean? I'm assuming if you are short you have less body to fit the weight into, therefore you need to weigh less than someone who is tall. What's the grace thing about?

‘Obese’ means something scientifically-defined in medical terms. It means something else in everyday use. You’re not the latter. You are the former. Lots of not-really-fat people are medically obese.

You don't look obese but your bmi is in the overweight category. I had a similar bmi and am just under 5ft and 10 stone 10lbs. It wasn't until I had a blood test for tiredness that I was diagnosed with a fatty liver. Me? Fatty?

It's not what you look like on the outside but what is going on in the inside. I lost just over 2 stone, now in the healthy bmi category and I no longer have a fatty liver.

As you are in the overweight category it should spur yourself into action that your bmi goes down to the healthy category not further up into the obese section.

27.3 is not classed s obese, just overweight.
But you look very normal weight in your picture

You are overweight for your height, but not obese.
I am nearly 5ft 4 and I feel too heavy if I move towards 10stone. I think 9-9.5 stone is my ideal.

BMI and being classed obese are not a value judgement on your looks

if you are classed obese but it’s down to huge muscularity from
being athletic…. you can disregard it a bit more, but that is very very few women

BMI obese is a health thing not a beauty or looks thing, and carrying fat around your belly increases your risk of developing many diseases

it’s not about “looking fine”, but since you ask, you look fine but from a medical point of view there may be a risk factor. Same as a smoker looks fine, or a person who drinks too much may look fine…

you are the only one who knows if underneath those clothes you are super fit and sporty

@letmehaveathink , according to the image in the OP the NHS says overweight not obese.

It’s clear to see what was meant. So they are using the word grace slightly wrongly, who cares. Grace period is when you get a bit of allowance to pay your bill at a later date. She clearly means shorter people have less “grace” to allow extra calories. You clearly get the concept that short people have less body to carry the weight. Why so angry about the PP’s choice of word??

@Pricelessadvice , I'm that height and would feel too heavy if I weighed over 9st.

Why on earth would you calculate BMI while pregnant? They make it clear it's based on averages across populations. Any extremes - bodybuilders, pregnant women etc - won't find it useful or accurate.

From that photo you certainly don't look obese or overweight.

But at 5' 3" and 11 4 you are definitely overweight - I know from experience!

I'm 5' 2" and currently 9 7 and have always had a bit of a belly, and those of us with fat around the abdomen are at more risk of heart disease, etc.

Obese is a harsh word I know, sounds so ungainly!

Lovely dogs by the way 😊

Also, it’s not really about appearance. It’s about health-knee joints, fat around internal organs etc etc.

the pic shows your BMI as 27.3. That is overweight. BMI of 30 plus is obese. BMI is a rather rough tool, because it doesn’t take into account sex or age. If you Google ‘real bmi’ there is a tool you can use which does take these things into account.

You're not obese at that weight though

I believe it's because the BMI is a health risk indicator and for certain ethnicities the health risks have been shown to start at a lower weight. So a Caucasian can have a BMI of 24 and have no increased risk for diabetes, hypertension etc but an Asian person could have the same BMI and already be at risk.

Where did you get this data? NHS bmi calculator has you at BMI 28 which is overweight not obese.

@whimsicallyprickly , I think the pp meant the extra weight is more obvious if you are short. A few pounds lost or gained show on me, and not in a good way

I clicked YABU because you are taking your info from the BMI system which is totally flawed. It doesn’t take body composition, genetics, muscle mass or fat percentage into consideration. My 5’9, 11 stone 14yo DS would definitely be classed as overweight but he has a fat % of 9! You know if you could do with losing a bit of weight to stay healthy, don’t use bmi though, get a proper measurement done.

Gosh, that's helpful. I bet no one who is overweight has ever thought of that.

This is the most accurate guide imo.

If you look at NHS definition it says ‘a person who has excess body fat’. Therefore this is where it derives from.

That being said, wouldn’t say you were hugely overweight but majority of people are in the overweight category including myself. It’s just the way it is unfortunately unless you are athletic looking which in this case you are not.

BMI is a bit of a blunt instrument and it's not perfect, but if you are so athletic and muscular that you're throwing it off, you'll know. It works as a fair rough measure for most of us.

It's worth remembering though that regular exercise absolutely brings health benefits even if you don't lose weight.

It was partly a joke...

Middle aged is i guess 35-60.

I still feel like I'm 32 (that's my mental image of myself - I don't see myself from the side often!!)
I'm over 60.
So I'm right I'm not middle aged
But only bcos I'm actually old

The subtle point is that I don't live my life like my fantasy age, nor like other people of my real age - but I'm not in denial of labels like the OP seemingly wanted to be; like you I'm just an individual.

If you look older than you are, or feel younger than you are, just embrace that and don't let anyone but you change you. Behave how you want, not how some stereotype of your age "should behave", and don't be defined by how others see you