July 28, 2026
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Many people rely on how they look in the mirror or how their clothes fit to judge their weight. These subjective measures, however, often fail to reflect the full clinical picture. Western Australia’s own data shows a striking disconnect: while 76 per cent of adults in the state live with overweight or obesity, a significant portion of this group perceives their weight as healthy. Nearly half of those carrying excess weight do not recognise it as a problem.
This gap between perception and reality carries serious consequences. Excess weight stands as Australia's leading modifiable risk factor for ill health. Knowing how to determine your weight status objectively is a critical step in understanding your health trajectory.
The most common method for classifying weight status is the Body Mass Index, or BMI. We have a free BMI Weight Loss Calculator on our homepage you can use for a cursory check. This calculation uses a simple formula: your weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height in metres (kg/m²). The resulting number places you into one of four main categories.
The World Health Organization defines these ranges as follows:
Within the obese category, further sub-classifications exist. Class I obesity covers a BMI of 30.0 to 34.9, Class II spans 35.0 to 39.9, and Class III (sometimes termed severe obesity) applies to a BMI of 40.0 or greater.
All in all, BMI provides a useful starting point. It is the standard screening tool used in clinical practice and public health surveillance. However, it is not a diagnostic instrument in isolation.
BMI carries inherent limitations. The calculation cannot distinguish between weight derived from muscle and weight derived from fat. A highly muscular athlete may register a BMI in the overweight or obese range while carrying very little body fat. Conversely, an older adult with reduced muscle mass may have a normal BMI but possess an unhealthy level of body fat. BMI also shows reduced accuracy in certain ethnic groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Pacific Islanders, South Asian, and Chinese populations. Furthermore, the measure does not indicate where fat resides on the body. This distribution matters profoundly for health outcomes.
The location of body fat provides crucial information beyond total weight. Fat stored around the abdomen, known as visceral fat, poses a greater health risk than fat stored elsewhere. Visceral fat surrounds internal organs and actively secretes inflammatory chemicals that contribute to chronic disease.
Waist circumference offers a simple, practical way to assess this risk. To measure accurately, place a tape measure around your waist at the midpoint between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hipbone. Take the measurement after exhaling normally, with the tape snug but not compressing the skin.
The thresholds indicating increased health risk are:
These figures correspond roughly to a BMI of 25. A waist measurement above 88 cm for women or 102 cm for men indicates substantially increased risk. In some clinical guidelines, population-specific thresholds for certain ethnic groups are set even lower, at 80 cm for women and 90 cm for men.
Some clinicians now favour the waist-to-height ratio as a more sensitive indicator of cardiometabolic risk. This measure simply divides waist circumference by height. A ratio of 0.5 or below is generally considered healthy. A ratio exceeding 0.6 signals significantly elevated risk. This measure accounts for individual body size and has shown strong correlation with health outcomes in multiple studies.
The relevance of these measures hits close to home. Western Australia's adult population shows obesity rates of approximately 38%, with a further 38% classified as overweight. More than three-quarters of West Australian adults carry excess weight. Regional areas show even higher obesity prevalence, with 49% of non-metropolitan residents living with obesity compared to 35% in metropolitan Perth.
The health system bears the weight of this burden. Obesity drives chronic conditions including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. The financial cost to the Australian health system already exceeds $12 billion annually, with projections suggesting this figure could rise substantially without effective intervention.
Calculating your BMI and measuring your waist circumference requires only a few minutes and basic equipment. These numbers provide objective data about your health status. If your BMI falls above 25 or your waist circumference exceeds the thresholds above, you carry excess weight that increases your risk of chronic disease. And this is not a judgment. Obesity is a complex chronic disease influenced by genetics, environment, metabolism, and numerous other factors. Acknowledging the numbers is simply the first step toward addressing them.
For many individuals with severe obesity, dietary and lifestyle modifications alone do not produce sustained weight loss. Bariatric surgery offers the most effective long-term treatment for clinically severe obesity, producing durable weight loss and significant improvement in obesity-related health conditions.
At New Me, we provide comprehensive, evidence-based care for individuals living with obesity. We believe in empowering you with accurate information and supporting you through every stage of your health journey. If you are uncertain about your weight status or concerned about your health risks, book a consultation with us today. Take the first step toward understanding your health and reclaiming it.
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