ABSTRACT
Obesity strictly refers to an excess accumulation of body fat, but body fat content is difficult to measure quickly and accurately in people. For this reason, the body mass index (BMI) is now very widely used to determine whether or not someone is excessively fat. (See Chapter 3 for a critical discussion of the use of BMI.). The BMI classification system in Table 9.1 is now used internationally and the World Health Organization (WHO) defines clinical obesity as a BMI of over 30.
