Testsúly

Testsúly, or body weight, is the total mass of a person. It is usually expressed in kilograms (kg) and may also be given in pounds (lb). In medicine, nutrition, and public health, testsúly is a basic anthropometric measure used to describe body size and to monitor changes over time.

Measurement should be performed with a calibrated scale. The person should stand still, wearing light clothing and no shoes. For consistency, weigh at the same time of day, preferably in the morning. Factors such as recent meals, hydration, menstruation, edema, pregnancy, or illness can affect the weight reading.

Weight is often interpreted together with height to assess health risk. The most common approach is calculating body mass index (BMI) as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. For adults, BMI categories are underweight (<18.5), normal weight (18.5–24.9), overweight (25–29.9), and obesity (≥30). In children, BMI is interpreted using age- and sex-specific percentiles.

Testsúly is influenced by many factors and can vary from day to day. It should be considered as a trend over time rather than a single measurement. In some situations, such as rapid weight gain or loss, edema, or cachexia, testsúly changes can be clinically significant.

Limitations: weight alone does not reveal body composition. It cannot distinguish fat mass from lean mass. Thus, a comprehensive assessment may include waist circumference, skinfold measurements, or other methods to evaluate nutritional status or risk.