Overweight
Overweight is characterized as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9. Having overweight is associated with increased risk of conditions such as cardiovascular disease. However, this may not be the case in people with increased lean mass (e.g., athletes or weight lifters).
Last Updated:October 12, 2022
Overweight refers to weighing more than what is considered normal or healthy for a given height. People with overweight are at a higher risk of negative health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mortality.[1][2][2] As of 2017–2018, approximately 31.1% of adults in the United States have overweight.[3] Worldwide, 39% of adults are estimated to have overweight as of 2016.[4]
Overweight is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9 kilograms per meters squared (kg/m2); a person’s BMI is calculated by dividing their weight by the square of their height. More specifically, a person with:[5]
- A BMI of <18.5 is “underweight”
- A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is “normal weight”
- A BMI of 25 to 29.9 has “overweight”
- A BMI of 30 to 34.9 has “class I obesity”
- A BMI of 35 to 39.9 has “class II obesity”
- A BMI of >40 has “class III obesity”
A person’s current health status and goals influence whether or not they should lose weight.
For people with overweight in addition to other cardiometabolic risk factors (high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, dyslipidemia, etc.), weight loss is recommended. Typical treatment entails lifestyle changes, such as increasing physical activity and changing dietary patterns. Weight loss medications are sometimes used in people with overweight, but are more commonly used in people with obesity. Other weight-related comorbidities (e.g., diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure) may be managed with medications such as statins, antihypertensives, and diabetes medications.
On the other hand, if a person has overweight but does not have cardiometabolic risk factors, they are encouraged to maintain their weight rather than lose it.[6][5]
Some supplements that have been studied for weight loss in people with overweight include but are not limited to conjugated linoleic acid, L-carnitine, and green tea extract. However, the evidence is insufficient to recommend them for weight loss.
A general recommendation for weight loss is to be at a 500–750 kilocalorie deficit daily. Because many diets can be effective, the “right” diet will be different for everybody. In general, finding an easy-to-follow diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein will allow for sustainable weight loss and health.[7] The most effective diet for weight loss is one that a person will adhere to.[8]
Although beneficial for weight loss, aerobic and resistance training can also help with issues that may come with overweight, such as lowering blood pressure, improving insulin sensitivity, decreasing appetite, and enhancing quality of life.[9] Time-restricted feeding may also be effective for weight loss and improving cardiometabolic risk factors in people with overweight.[10][11]
Simply put, overweight results from having a positive energy balance — consuming more energy from food than the body expends. However, many variables can impact calorie intake and energy expenditure, including genetics, socioeconomic status, physical activity, and the gut microbiome.[12]
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- ^Global BMI Mortality Collaboration, Emanuele Di Angelantonio, Shilpa Bhupathiraju, David Wormser, Pei Gao, Stephen Kaptoge, Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, Benjamin Cairns, Rachel Huxley, Chandra Jackson, Grace Joshy, Sarah Lewington, JoAnn Manson, Neil Murphy, Alpa Patel, Jonathan Samet, Mark Woodward, Wei Zheng, Maigen Zhou, Narinder Bansal, Aurelio Barricarte, Brian Carter, James Cerhan, George Smith, Xianghua Fang, Oscar Franco, Jane Green, Jim Halsey, Janet Hildebrand, Keum Jung, Rosemary Korda, Dale McLerran, Steven Moore, Linda O'Keeffe, Ellie Paige, Anna Ramond, Gillian Reeves, Betsy Rolland, Carlotta Sacerdote, Naveed Sattar, Eleni Sofianopoulou, June Stevens, Michael Thun, Hirotsugu Ueshima, Ling Yang, Young Yun, Peter Willeit, Emily Banks, Valerie Beral, Zhengming Chen, Susan Gapstur, Marc Gunter, Patricia Hartge, Sun Jee, Tai-Hing Lam, Richard Peto, John Potter, Walter Willett, Simon Thompson, John Danesh, Frank HuBody-mass index and all-cause mortality: individual-participant-data meta-analysis of 239 prospective studies in four continentsLancet.(2016 Aug 20)
- ^Fryar CD, Carroll MD, Afful JPrevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among adults aged 20 and over: United States, 1960–1962 through 2017–2018(2021=01)
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- ^Garvey WT, Mechanick JI, Brett EM, Garber AJ, Hurley DL, Jastreboff AM, Nadolsky K, Pessah-Pollack R, Plodkowski R,AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGISTS AND AMERICAN COLLEGE OF ENDOCRINOLOGY COMPREHENSIVE CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR MEDICAL CARE OF PATIENTS WITH OBESITY.Endocr Pract.(2016-Jul)
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