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Overweight and obese individuals (BMI of 32 and above) are at increased risk for physical ailments.
- High blood pressure, hypertension
- High blood cholesterol, dyslipidemia
- Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes
- Insulin resistance, glucose intolerance
- Hyperinsulinemia
- Coronary heart disease
- Angina pectoris
- Congestive heart failure
- Stroke
- Gallstones
- Cholescystitis and cholelithiasis
- Gout
- Osteoarthritis
- Obstructive sleep apnea and respiratory problems
- Some types of cancer (such as endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon)
- Complications of pregnancy
- Poor female reproductive health (such as menstrual irregularities, infertility, irregular ovulation)
- Bladder control problems (such as stress incontinence)
- Uric acid nephrolithiasis
- Psychological disorders (such as depression, eating disorders, distorted body image, and low self esteem).
OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY AMONG ADULTS
Recent results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 indicate that an estimated 61 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more.
Among U.S. adults aged 20-74 years, the prevalence of overweight (defined as BMI 25.0-29.9) has increased an estimated 2 percent since 1980, increasing from 33 percent to the 35 percent of the population in 1999 (based on NHANES II and NHANES 1999 data).
In the same population, obesity (defined as BMI greater than or equal to 30.0) has nearly doubled from approximately 15 percent in 1980 to an estimated 27 percent in 1999.
OVERWEIGHT
Overweight refers to increased body weight in relation to height, when compared to some standard of acceptable or desirable weight (NRC p.114; Stunkard p.14). NOTE: Overweight may or may not be due to increases in body fat. It may also be due to an increase in lean muscle. For example, professional athletes may be very lean and muscular, with very little body fat, yet they may weigh more than others of the same height. While they may qualify as "overweight" due to their large muscle mass, they are not necessarily "over fat," regardless of BMI.
Desirable weight standards are derived in a number of ways:
- By using a mathematical formula known as Body Mass Index (BMI), which represents weight levels associated with the lowest overall risk to health. Desirable BMI levels may vary with age.
- By using actual heights and weights measured and collected on people who are representative of the U.S. population by the National Center for Health Statistics. Other desirable weight tables have been created by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, based on their client populations.
These sources are consistent with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines and with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults.
OBESITY
Obesity is defined as an excessively high amount of body fat or adipose tissue in relation to lean body mass. (NRC p114; Stunkard p14) The amount of body fat (or adiposity) includes concern for both the distribution of fat throughout the body and the size of the adipose tissue deposits. Body fat distribution can be estimated by skinfold measures, waist-to-hip circumference ratios, or techniques such as ultrasound, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging.
OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY AMONG CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
- The percentage of children and adolescents who are defined as overweight has more than doubled since the early 1970s.
- About 15 percent of children and adolescents are now overweight.
In spite of the public health impact of obesity and overweight, these conditions have not been a major public health priority in the past. Halting and reversing the upward trend of the obesity epidemic will require effective collaboration among government, voluntary, and private sectors, as well as a commitment to action by individuals and communities across the nation.
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