ABSTRACT
Obesity refers to excess body fat or excessive body mass for stature (Bray et al., 1998). The best definition of obesity has been a subject of intense study. Excess fatness (or adiposity) in the abdomen is most strongly associated with increased health risks (Bray et al., 1998). The most widely accepted method for defining obesity uses body mass index (BMI), which is the body weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters (kg/m2). Table 3.1 summarizes the most commonly used definitions of obesity, using BMI; these values are a modification of those used by the World Health Organization (Bray et al., 1998).
