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Health Conditions
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Obesity
Who has it?
The latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 years of age and older?over 60 million people?are obese. More than 60% of Americans over the age of 20 years are considered overweight. Depending on sex, age, socioeconomic status and race, these numbers vary. Obesity is more common in females than males with the incidence in black women being 1.5 times that of white women. It is twice as common in individuals of lower socioeconomic status. The prevalence of overweight (BMI greater than or equal to 25) Americans has not significantly changed in the past forty years, but the prevalence of obesity (BMI greater than or equal to 30) during this same time period more than doubled from 13.3 to 30.9 percent.
Body mass index (BMI) for adults is found by dividing a person?s weight in kilograms by height in meters squared [weight (kg) / height squared (m2)]. To calculate your BMI using pounds and inches, multiply your weight in pounds by 704.5, then divide the result by your height in inches, and divide that result by your height in inches a second time.
Of growing concern, an epidemic of childhood obesity is occurring in the United States. The prevalence of the most severe cases of childhood obesity -- defined as a BMI for age over the 95th percentile -- has virtually doubled over the past 20 years, while the prevalence of standard cases (BMI for age over the 85th percentile) has increased by about 50%. Childhood obesity carries its own morbidity (Type 2 diabetes mellitus, historically considered an adult disease, is now the most common type of diabetes diagnosed in several pediatric diabetes centers) and mortality (there are reports of children between 6 and 10 years of age with a BMI over the 99th percentile who died of sudden cardiopulmonary arrest apparently caused by irregularities in heart rate associated with their obesity). Decreased physical activity levels, increased calorie intake because of the availability of fast-foods, and an increasing lack of adult supervision in the lives of many children are all contributing factors to obesity in children.
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Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.
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Who has it?
