In 1998, The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued standards to help you determine if you are overweight or obese. These standards are based on the most extensive review of the scientific literature conducted to date regarding the relationship between weight and health risk by the Obesity Education Initiative Expert Panel. The Panel systematically evaluated published scientific literature from 1980 to 1997. The report established guidelines, or "standards of care," for physicians and health professionals to utilize in managing patients with a broad range of weight problems. The guidelines included what measurements to use to determine if a person is overweight or obese, as well as how to initiate and maintain a weight loss program.
The NIH recommends two measurements that you can determine at home---the body-mass index (BMI) and waist circumference---which will give you an accurate idea of what shape you are really in. These numbers go beyond a simple bathroom scale reading or a number from a weight-for-height table hanging in your physician's office.
Taking the Right Measurements
Body Mass Index
