The 7 Differences Between Overweight and Obesity (Explained)

For the annals of history, the COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered as the greatest pandemic of the 21st century. There is no doubt that its impact on public health has been, unfortunately, immense, completely changing the world in which we live. But on this, on the other hand, understandable statement, the other great "pandemic" of this century is hidden: obesity.

Obesity is, in most developed countries of the world, one of the biggest public health alarms and threats. And not only because of its tremendous incidence, because with statistics under our arm we can affirm that 1,900 million people are overweight and, of these, 650 million suffer from obesity, but because of all the deaths that this induces due to its effect on cardiovascular and mental health. and metabolic.

But, as we all know, obesity is surrounded by great stigma. There are many myths surrounding this disease that make the fight against this "pandemic" slower than it should be. And in this context of general ignorance, one of the most common mistakes is to consider that "overweight" and "obesity" are synonymous. They are not. Absolutely.

Therefore, in today's article and, as always, from the hand of the most prestigious scientific publications, in addition to understanding the clinical bases of both terms, we are going to present, in a very concise way and through key points, the most important differences between being overweight and suffering from obesity. Let's go there.

What is obesity? What about being overweight?

Before going in depth and analyzing the differences between concepts, it is interesting and important that we put ourselves in context to gain perspective. Therefore, first we are going to individually analyze the clinical bases of the two terms. So let's define what obesity is and what is overweight.

Obesity: what is it?

Obesity is a metabolic disease that manifests itself with a pathological accumulation of fatty tissue in the body.. Thus, an obese person is one who suffers from a pathological state that compromises his health due to an excessive accumulation of fat in his body. It is a pathology that is diagnosed when a person's BMI (Body Mass Index) is greater than 30.

We are facing a very serious health problem that goes far beyond the aesthetic, as it endangers both physical and mental health. And it is that obesity is a disease that, being suffered by some 650 million people around the world, increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (the main causes of death), cancer, bone disorders, depression, type 2 diabetes, damage in the locomotor system ... The whole body suffers the consequences of this pathological accumulation of fatty tissue.

And things get even more complicated when we discover that, strangely enough, its causes remain unclear. And it is that we do not even know for sure if eating a lot is the cause of this disease or if, on the contrary, this fact is precisely a symptom of a metabolic disorder. In fact, many studies suggest that it is more likely that abusive behaviors with food are more of a consequence than a cause.

But this is not to say that obesity cannot be prevented or treated. Although it may have its origin in a metabolic disorder (and, therefore, in genetics), in its development the environmental factor also comes into play, that is, what we do with our lives. A healthy diet, sleeping and practicing sports regularly are the best weapons to combat obesity, remembering that, in case we cannot fight alone, we can always request psychological attention.

It is also important to note that, beyond the general definition, there are different forms of obesity according to the distribution of fat throughout the body, according to the cause and according to the BMI. This last parameter is the most relevant at the clinical level, since it is the one that determines the severity of the situation. These are the types of obesity based on the Body Mass Index:

• Low risk obesity: The person's BMI is between 30 and 34'9. Although it is the first phase and the risk to health is the lowest, obviously the integrity of our physical and emotional state is already compromised.

• Moderate risk obesity: The BMI is between 35 and 39'9. The risks to physical and mental health begin to be greater, so that the person already has a relatively high risk of suffering health problems associated with the disease.

• Morbid obesity: The BMI is equal to or greater than 40 but less than 50. We are facing a very dangerous situation for both physical and emotional health, in addition to the fact that the person, due to its aesthetic impact, can have serious problems in their personal life.

• Extreme obesity: The BMI is higher than 50. It is the most serious form of obesity, one in which the person can practically not carry out daily activities due to the accumulation of fat. The risk to physical and emotional health is, as the name suggests, extreme.

We must end this section by making it very clear that, although predisposition may exist in obesity, the decisions we make about our lifestyle are the most decisive. The obesity is an illness. And understanding this is the first step to, as a society, preserve our collective health.

Overweight: what is it?

Being overweight is a condition in which the person weighs more than they should be for their height. An overweight person is not obese. And it is that not only is it that the accumulation of fatty tissue is not, in itself, pathological, but that this higher than optimal weight may also be due to the accumulation of fluids, to a weight higher than the average of the bones or to the provision of more muscle mass.

We speak of being overweight when the person's BMI is between 25 and 29'9. It is the previous step to obesity, but we cannot speak of obesity as such since we are not facing a disease. His weight is higher than what is considered healthy for his height, but this situation does not have to be due to a pathological excess of fat.

And there are people who, because they have a lot of muscle, can, according to their BMI, be considered overweight. But since it is due to muscle mass and not fat, they do not have an increased risk of health problems derived from this overweight. Rather the complete opposite.

Even so, it is totally true that, if overweight is due to the accumulation of fat, we must act (with changes in lifestyle) before it leads to obesity itself. In other words, a higher than normal BMI that indicates overweight does not have to mean that we must lose weight. First, we must know where this weight comes from. Is it muscle? Is it fluid accumulation? Or is it fat?

It is estimated that in the world there are 1,600 million overweight people, some of them due to a non-pathological situation, but others of them are at risk of the accumulation of fatty tissue becoming harmful, becoming obese and, from there, the probability of suffering from diseases skyrockets. Being overweight, therefore, can be a risk factor for obesity, but by itself it is not a pathological condition.

How are overweight and obesity different?

After defining both concepts, surely the differences (and also the relationship) between overweight and obesity have become more than clear. Even so, in case you need or simply want to have information with a more visual and concise nature, we have prepared the following selection of the main differences between obesity and overweight in the form of key points.

1. Obesity is a disease; overweight, no

Without a doubt, the most important difference. Obesity is a metabolic disease in which the person suffers from a pathological accumulation of fatty tissue in the body that increases the risk of developing cardiovascular, hormonal, oncological and mental pathologies. However, being overweight is not a disease, It is a not necessarily pathological condition in which the person has a weight greater than what is considered optimal for their height.

2. The BMI in obesity is higher than in overweight

Along these lines, even if an overweight person weighs more than they should be for their height, the BMI is between 25 and 29'9. This index range of body mass is considered overweight. But anything above a BMI of 30 is considered obesity.

3. Obesity is due to an accumulation of fat; being overweight, not always

When we talk about obesity, we refer to a metabolic disease in which the high BMI is a consequence of an excessive and pathological accumulation of fatty tissue in the body, a situation that increases the risk of developing severe health problems.

On the other hand, in the overweight, although the BMI higher than the considered optimal may be due to fat, it can also be a consequence of increased muscle mass, fluid retention or bone weight greater than average.

4. Obesity must always be fought; being overweight, not always

In relation to the previous point, we can see that being overweight does not always have to be fought. If a person is, by BMI, overweight, but this weight greater than the considered optimal is due to a muscle mass greater than the average, they do not have any health problem.

Quite the opposite; you do not need to lose weight. Therefore, while obesity should always be combated with lifestyle changes, psychological support, and even surgery (only as a last resort), being overweight should only be treated if it is caused by excessive accumulation of fat.

5. Being overweight is a risk factor for obesity

This overweight caused by an excessive accumulation of fat must be treated not only because although the person is not obese there are already certain health risks, but because this very overweight is a risk factor for the development of obesity as such.

No changes in lifestyle, This overweight situation can lead to the disease itself and make the person, already in a state of obesity, suffer serious health problems.

6. The predisposition is more relevant in obesity

As we say, obesity is a disease considered metabolic, that is, a pathology in which hormonal imbalances come into play that have, as a consequence, compulsive behaviors with food (which are both the cause of the problem) and a tendency to accumulate fatty tissue in a pathological way.

Therefore, despite the fact that lifestyle and environmental factors are very determining, it is true that there is a certain genetic predisposition. A predisposition that we do not find so much in being overweight, more exclusively linked to our lifestyle at a nutritional and sports level.

7. The health risk is higher in obesity

From everything we have seen, it is clear that obesity, a disease in which there is an excessive and pathological accumulation of fat in the body, is more dangerous for physical health (greatly increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and other disorders that significantly reduce life expectancy) and emotional than being overweight, a condition that, although it may be a risk factor for obesity, is not, by itself, a pathological condition. It all depends on the origin of this weight higher than the one considered optimal.