# obese

/əˈbis/ (US) · /əʊbˈiːz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/obese
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. extremely overweight

adjective · CEFR B2 · Technical

very overweight in a way that can cause health problems.

For teachers: having an excessive amount of body fat that increases the risk of health problems. Often used as a clinical descriptor for individuals with a BMI over 30.

- The doctor warned him that being obese could lead to heart disease.
- Public health initiatives are increasingly focused on reducing the number of children who are clinically obese before they reach adulthood.

Usage: Often used in medical or formal contexts; can be perceived as offensive or overly blunt in casual social conversation.

Teaching tip: In everyday English, people often use 'overweight' as a softer alternative, while 'obese' remains the standard term in medical and scientific reporting.

### 2. people with obesity

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a way to talk about people who are very overweight.

For teachers: a collective or individual reference to persons with obesity. This usage is increasingly avoided in modern clinical settings in favour of person-first language.

- The study looked at how the obese responded to the new diet plan.
- Modern medical ethics suggest using 'people with obesity' rather than 'the obese' to avoid defining individuals solely by their physical condition.

Usage: Usually appears as 'the obese' to refer to a group of people.

Teaching tip: Advise students to use 'people with obesity' instead of 'the obese' to follow modern professional and inclusive language standards.

## Examples

- The doctor warned him that he was becoming obese.
- Public health campaigns often focus on diet and exercise to prevent children from becoming obese.
- Medical professionals distinguish between being overweight and being clinically obese by calculating a patient's body mass index to assess potential health risks.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.