Obesity is a hefty issue here and abroad, but let’s be real; we’ve known that since Super Size Me.
While 63.4 percent of Aussies are currently overweight, there’s a sneakier health issue experts reckon should be on our horizons. It’s called overfat.
uh oh
According to experts, people who fall into this new category have too much excess body fat; enough to impair health. It differs to regular obesity, as overfat individuals can look relatively healthy, with many having regular BMIs (body mass index).
While it might remind you of the ubiquitous term ‘skinny fat’, it’s markedly different.
Skinny fat refers to folk who look lean, but have limited muscle mass and internal fat ’round their organs. Overfat individuals, on the other hand, can be relatively average sized but usually sport beer bellies and excess fat around their trunk.
A whopping 76 percent of the globe falls into this overfat category, which was first brought to public attention in an article in the Jan issue of the journal Frontiers in Public Health.
Worried this might apply to you?
The clearest way to determine if you’re overweight is to go to a doctor and ask them to do some tests. These can include bioempedance analysis (also known as BIA, which determines your fat percentage by how easily electronic currents run through your rig) or a simple waist measurement.
People who fall into this category are most likely to experience health issues like wearing down of joints, infertility, cancer, diabetes and mental health issues like anxiety and depression. There’s also a fair whack of shame associated with weight issues that clearly takes its toll.
Source: Frontiers in Public Health.
Photo: White Chicks.
