Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it can potentially have negative effects on health [1]. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)[2]—a person's weight divided by the square of the person's height—is over 30 kg/m2; the range 25–30 kg/m2 is defined as overweight[3]. The most commonly used definitions, established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1997 and published in 2000, provide the values listed in the table below [4].
| Category | BMI |
|---|---|
| Underweight | < 18.5 |
| Normal weight | 18.5 – 24.9 |
| Overweight | 25.0 – 29.9 |
| Obese (Class I) | 30.0 – 34.9 |
| Obese (Class II) | 35.0 – 39.9 |
| Obese (Class III) | ≥ 40.0 |
In this study we'll try to come up with a model that predicts the risk of obesity by using the given data.
[1] Obesity [2] Body mass index [3] Classification of obesity [4] WHO 2000 p.9