ABSTRACT
Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease and physical disability but modest overweight is less properly quantified and investigated. Objective of this work is to critically assess the Body Mass Index (BMI) and other anthropometric measurements to define overweight in addition to obesity, as overweight itself influences hypertension and other diseases which are revealed by the present investigation. For the diagnosis and prevention of the complication of obesity earlier diagnosis and prevention of overweight is more essential than to treat obesity. Two thousand women aged between 20-60 years were investigated. Their height, weight, chest circumference, abdomen circumference, hip circumference and mid arm circumference were measured. Besides blood sugar (fasting) and cholesterol (fasting) in all and lipid profile (fasting) in 200 women were estimated and their E.C.G. changes were also assessed. Their physical efficiencies were also tested computing all these data following guidelines of weight for adult women are proposed. Maximum Body Weight (M.B.W) - (Height in cm - 100 cm) × kg/cm. Above this weight (M.B.W.) is overweight. 15% higher than above (M.B.W.) is obesity. 15% less than maximum weight is underweight. 30% less than maximum is morbid underweight. The morbid underweight subjects are unable to carry 5 kgs weight for 10 minutes. Ratio of Chest circumference / Abdomen circumference or Waist circumference (C/W) must be more than unity, preferably more that 1.05. Ratio of Height/Mid arm circumference should be between 6.00 to 7.50. Ratio below 6.00 is overweight. Ratio above 7.50 is underweight.