Armand Tecco, M.Ed.
Obesity is defined as having excessive amounts of body fat.
For example, an individual weighing 200 pounds with a body fat percentage of 15 percent has 30 pounds of body fat and 170 pounds of lean weight. By medical definition, a male is considered obese when he has more than 25 percent body fat, and a female is considered obese when she has more than 32 percent. The excess calories are converted to fat and gradually an individual becomes obese over time. Without resorting to surgery, you must exercise and eat right to reduce body fat. In fact, research has shown that regular exercise is the common denominator for formerly obese individuals who have kept the weight off for a long period of time.