When does overweight become fat?

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I'm overweight, and I know it. If you ask me to describe myself, I'll tell you I'm fat. If I'm having a good day, I might say I'm just chubby. But whenever the subject comes up, people always go, "Oh, no, you're not fat! You're fine!" I'm 6ft 3 and a little over 250lbs. If there some kind of, I don't know, scale people go by for these kinds of things? When does being overweight transition into being fat?

It'll depend on your build, rather than just the weight.

Your BMI puts you in the obese category.

But you might have 'flabby fat' which would make you seem fat, because it would make you round in all the wrong places, or you could be quite toned in which case the fat would be less obvious.

My own BMI is higher than yours. I was very much a fat person at the start of the year, but now I look significantly more toned and athletic, and I'm a lot less noticeably 'fat'. Previously I was getting all of my activity from walking. Now, I swim - still only casually, but it's worked different muscles and the impact is noticeable. Slight changes to muscle tone can definitely change whether you look fat or just overweight, even in the obese category.

#losehatenotweight

BMI is an outdated index and not supported by real science whatsoever.
allert!

You might find these books interesting:

Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, and Just Plain Fail to Understand about Weight
https://www.amazon.com/Body-Respect-Con ... 1940363195

Body of Truth: How Science, History, and Culture Drive Our Obsession with Weight--and What We Can Do about It
https://www.amazon.com/Body-Truth-Scien ... 0738217697

Body self-hate and internalised fatphobia among males is increasing. It's called muscle dysmorphia and on its way to become the new male version of anorexia: an obsession with muscle definition.

You might appreciate this dude's insights:
http://www.bvmrd.com

Please be kind to yourself and that includes your body

*sigh*
Thanks for the input, but I'm not buying onto the "fat is good let's all be fat" nonsense.

No problem.
Still the BMI is not a scientifically accurate measurement of health nor disease. Nor is weight.
Wishing you luck in your quest.

You're more like in the "big teddy bear" range rather than being fat.

Chubby/husky.

Im 5 foot 5, 190 lbs--and nobody thinks I'm fat. If I'm 6 foot 3, I'd be heavier than you.

BMI might not be scientific though it is a relative index. Use it to compare yourself to yourself over time.

I was 6'4" and 256 pounds, I am a big guy and carry my weight well. Now I'm down to 220 and I look great without apparel which is more of what I wanted.

Yeah, if you look good in the mirror you shouldn't worry. Especially since women don't value appearance as much as men do. There are guys in the dating forum that specifically say that overweight is an automatic deal killer. Not for women.