What do they mean when they say that you’re fat?

Obesity is a specific medical condition in which the body accumulates an overabundance of fatty tissue. One way American nutritionists determine who’s obese is by comparing a person’s weight with the figures on the weight/height charts:

• If your weight is 20 to 40 percent higher than the chart recommends, you’re mildly obese.
• If your weight is 40 to 99 percent higher, you’re moderately obese.
• If your weight is more than double the weight on the chart, you’re severely obese.