Facts about obesity:
Overweight and obesity together represent the second leading
preventable cause of death in the United States. Obesity is a
serious, chronic disease that can inflict substantial harm to a person’s
health. Over weight and obesity are not the same, rather, they are different
points on a continuum of weight ranging from being underweight to being
morbidly obese. The percentage of people who fit into these two categories,
overweight and obese, is determined by Body Mass Index (BMI).
The US
Surgeon General has declared that overweight and obesity have reached epidemic
proportions in this country. Over 9 million children between the ages
of six and 19 are overweight. Public health officials say physical inactivity
and poor diet are catching up to tobacco as a significant threat to health.
Currently, about 33 percent of women and 28 percent of men are considered
seriously overweight. Obesity is a serious, chronic disease that can inflict
substantial harm to a person's health.
BMI is a measure of weight proportionate to height. BMI is
considered a useful measurement of the amount of body fat. Occasionally, some
very muscular people may have a BMI in the overweight range. However, these
people are not considered overweight because muscle tissue weighs more than fat
tissue. Generally, BMI can be considered an effective way to evaluate whether a
person is overweight or obese.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
(NHLBI), a BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal while a BMI of more than
25 is considered overweight. A person is considered obese if the BMI is greater
than 30 and morbidly obese if the BMI is 40 or greater. In general, after the
age of 50, a man’s weight stabilizes and even drops slightly between the ages
of 60 and 74. However, a woman’s weight continues to increase until age 60 and
then begins to drop.
Another measure of obesity is the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).
The WHR is a measurement tool that looks at the proportion of fat stored on the
waist, and hips and buttocks. The waist circumference indicates abdominal fat.
A waist circumference over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women may
increase the risk for heart disease and other diseases associated with being
overweight.
Consult your physician with questions regarding healthy body
weight.
What causes obesity?
In many ways, obesity is a puzzling disease. How the body
regulates weight and body fat is not well understood. On one hand, the cause
appears to be simple in that if a person consumes more calories than he or she
expends as energy, then he or she will gain weight.
However, the risk factors that determine obesity can be a
complex combination of genetics, socioeconomic factors, metabolic factors, and
lifestyle choices, as well as other factors. Some endocrine disorders,
diseases, and medications may also exert a powerful influence on an
individual’s weight.
