State the adult BMI categories for underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obesity.

A BMI under 18.5 is underweight, and 18.5 to 24.9 is a healthy weight. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30 or over is obesity.

Calculate the BMI of an adult who weighs 95 kg and is 1.80 m tall, and classify it.

The BMI is 29.3 kg/m², which is in the overweight range. The working is 95 ÷ (1.80 × 1.80) = 95 ÷ 3.24 = 29.3.

What is the highest weight an adult 1.70 m tall can be while staying within the healthy BMI range?

The highest weight within the healthy range is about 72 kg. The working is 24.9 × (1.70 × 1.70) = 24.9 × 2.89 = 72.0 kg.

Give two limitations of BMI as a measure of body fat.

BMI cannot tell muscle from fat, so muscular athletes may be wrongly classed as overweight. BMI also ignores where fat is stored, although abdominal fat carries the greatest risk.

CCEA A-Level Nutrition and Food Science 3310

Protein

Topic overview Functions of protein Amino acids, biological value and complementation Animal and plant sources of protein Novel protein sources Nitrogen balance and protein requirements

Fat

Topic overview Functions of fat Structure of fats and fatty acids Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids Omega-3, omega-6 and trans fatty acids Essential fatty acids

Carbohydrate

Topic overview Sources and functions of carbohydrate Intrinsic, extrinsic and non-milk extrinsic sugars Starch and resistant starch Non-starch polysaccharides and dietary fibre Blood sugar, glycaemic index and glycaemic load

Vitamins

Topic overview Vitamin solubility, absorption and bioavailability Vitamin A and beta-carotene Vitamin D and sunlight Vitamins E and K Thiamin, riboflavin and niacin Vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate Vitamin C and scurvy

Minerals

Topic overview Calcium and phosphorus Magnesium, sodium and potassium Iron and iron deficiency anaemia Iodine and fluorine Selenium and zinc Mineral bioavailability and absorption

Water and Other Fluids

Topic overview Functions and sources of water Nutritional benefits of other drinks Factors affecting hydration Dehydration and water intoxication

Nutrition Through Life

Topic overview Pre-conception and pregnancy nutrition Lactation and infant milk feeding Weaning and pre-school children School-age children and teenagers Nutrition for adult men and women Older adults and the frail elderly Dietary Reference Values and diet evaluation

Eating Patterns

Topic overview Food consumption trends and demographic change Social change, employment and leisure patterns Resources and availability of healthy food Food labels and advertising as barriers

Energy and Energy Balance

Topic overview Why the body needs energy Basal metabolic rate and physical activity level Energy EARs through life Energy balance and weight change

Overweight and Obesity

Topic overview BMI, waist circumference and measuring body fat Trends in childhood and adult obesity Barriers to achieving a healthy weight Health problems of excess weight Achieving a healthy weight in children and adults

Cardiovascular Disease

Topic overview Defining CVD and how atherosclerosis develops Non-modifiable risk factors for CVD Smoking, inactivity, alcohol, obesity and Type 2 diabetes Blood cholesterol, fatty acids and soluble fibre Hypertension, sodium, antioxidants and homocysteine Preventing CVD through diet and lifestyle

Cancer

Topic overview Cancer and how tumours develop Fat, salt and meat in cancer risk Wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and antioxidants Lifestyle factors in cancer risk Recommendations to reduce cancer risk

Type 2 Diabetes

Topic overview Definition and symptoms of Type 2 diabetes Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes Preventing Type 2 diabetes Managing Type 2 diabetes

Alcohol

Topic overview Units, energy and alcohol's link to obesity Alcohol, the heart and cancer Alcohol in pregnancy and the developing baby Nutritional effects of heavy drinking

Physical Activity

Topic overview UK physical activity guidelines Activity, heart health and energy balance Bone, joint, muscle and mental health benefits

Food Security and Food PovertyOption A

Topic overview Food security and the threat from climate change Land degradation and population growth Food poverty as a global issue Food poverty in the UK and Northern Ireland Food banks, FareShare and the Trussell Trust

Food SustainabilityOption A

Topic overview Animal farming, climate change and natural resources Local and seasonal food Organic farming and the environment Fairtrade and producer countries Red Tractor, NI Beef and Lamb, LEAF and Conservation Grade Carbon labels, Rainforest Alliance, MSC and green claims

Food WasteOption A

Topic overview Environmental and ethical impact of food and packaging waste Waste from primary producers and food manufacturers Waste from retailers and consumers WRAP, the Courtauld Commitment and Love Food Hate Waste NI

Changing Consumer BehaviourOption A

Topic overview Advice for sustainable food choices Barriers to sustainable food choices Environmental and social cost of supermarket shopping

Food Safety Through the Food ChainOption B

Topic overview WHO and shared responsibility for food safety Animal and plant health risks The Food Standards Agency and DAERA GMP, quality assurance standards and traceability HACCP in food-serving establishments Hygiene ratings, food law inspections and EHPs

Microbiological ContaminationOption B

Topic overview Salmonella and Campylobacter Listeria and Escherichia coli High-risk foods for food poisoning Microbial control by producers and manufacturers Microbial control in catering and at home

Chemical ContaminationOption B

Topic overview Acrylamide in cooked foods Arsenic in rice Bisphenol A and dioxins Mercury, lead and cadmium in food

Food AdditivesOption B

Topic overview Additive regulation and E numbers Food colours and flavour enhancers Intense and bulk sweeteners Preservatives, nitrites and sulphites

Food AllergensOption B

Topic overview Why food allergies are increasing Allergen labelling and information rules The FSA's work on allergy and intolerance

Food Safety Controls and LegislationOption B

Topic overview EFSA and food risk assessment General food hygiene under Regulation 852/2004 Regulation 853/2004 and official controls

Research Skills

Topic overview Primary and secondary research Questionnaires and interviews Food diaries, observation and sensory evaluation Sampling and research ethics Evaluating and referencing sources Analysing and presenting data

Overweight and Obesity

5 subtopics
15 things to know
AS 2

What Overweight and Obesity covers

Overweight and Obesity is examined in Unit AS 2, Diet, Lifestyle and Health — examined, compulsory. It covers BMI, waist circumference and measuring body fat, trends in childhood and adult obesity, barriers to achieving a healthy weight, health problems of excess weight and achieving a healthy weight in children and adults.

Where it is assessed

AS 2

Diet, Lifestyle and Health — a written examination.

Check the CCEA specification ↗

The 5 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Evaluation

What are the limitations of BMI, and why does NICE use lower thresholds for some ethnic groups?

Key term

Propose and justify recommendations for a sedentary 45-year-old office worker with a BMI of 31 who eats takeaways most evenings.

Numbers

Describe the global trend in adult obesity.

Key term

Explain how the cost of food can be a barrier to achieving a healthy weight.

Key term

Which health problems are more common in adults living with obesity?

Key term

How does the World Health Organization define overweight and obesity?

Key term

Describe the trend in adult obesity in the UK since the early 1990s.

Key term

Why can time pressures make it hard to maintain a healthy weight?

Key term

Why does excess visceral fat increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes?

Key term

Why is weight loss not usually the aim for a growing child above a healthy weight?

Key term

How is body mass index calculated?

Numbers

What proportion of adults in Northern Ireland are overweight or living with obesity?

Key term

How does the body's response to weight loss act as a barrier to keeping weight off?

Key term

Why does obesity increase the risk of osteoarthritis?

Key term

Propose and justify one change to drinks for a child above a healthy weight.

Take Overweight and Obesity further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

Overweight vs Obesity
Overweight: an adult BMI from 25 up to 29.9. Obesity: an adult BMI of 30 or more.
BMI vs Waist circumference
BMI: weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Waist circumference: the girth measured midway between the lowest rib and the hip bone.
Visceral fat vs Subcutaneous fat
Visceral fat: adipose tissue packed around the abdominal organs. Subcutaneous fat: adipose tissue lying just beneath the skin.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
How does the World Health Organization define overweight and obesity?
Model answer
The WHO defines overweight and obesity as an abnormal or excessive build-up of body fat that poses a risk to health. Obesity is the more severe of the two.
2
How is body mass index calculated?
Model answer
BMI is weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres. The unit of BMI is kg/m².
3
State the adult BMI categories for underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obesity.
Model answer
A BMI under 18.5 is underweight, and 18.5 to 24.9 is a healthy weight. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30 or over is obesity.
4
Calculate the BMI of an adult who weighs 95 kg and is 1.80 m tall, and classify it.
Model answer
The BMI is 29.3 kg/m², which is in the overweight range. The working is 95 ÷ (1.80 × 1.80) = 95 ÷ 3.24 = 29.3.
5
What is the highest weight an adult 1.70 m tall can be while staying within the healthy BMI range?
Model answer
The highest weight within the healthy range is about 72 kg. The working is 24.9 × (1.70 × 1.70) = 24.9 × 2.89 = 72.0 kg.
6
Give two limitations of BMI as a measure of body fat.
Model answer
BMI cannot tell muscle from fat, so muscular athletes may be wrongly classed as overweight. BMI also ignores where fat is stored, although abdominal fat carries the greatest risk.

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Vitamins

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Overweight means an adult BMI from 25 up to 29.9.

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Overweight and Obesity revision questions

What does Overweight and Obesity cover in CCEA A-Level Nutrition and Food Science?: 5 subtopics: bmi, waist circumference and measuring body fat, trends in childhood and adult obesity, barriers to achieving a healthy weight, health problems of excess weight and achieving a healthy weight in children and adults. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
How is Overweight and Obesity organised?: By the CCEA 3310 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.

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