Obesity in America
It is fast becoming the most serious epidemic in America!
March 12, 2008 Update;
Facts from the CDC (Center for Disease Control).
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm
Defining Overweight and Obesity
Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally
considered healthy for a given height. The terms also identify ranges of weight that have been shown
to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems.
Definitions for Adults
For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a
number called the “body mass index” (BMI). BMI is used because, for most people, it correlates
with their amount of body fat.
An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight.
An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
See the following table for an example.
Height Weight Range BMI Considered
5’ 9” 124 lbs or less Below 18.5 Underweight
125 lbs to 168 lbs 18.5 to 24.9 Healthy weight
169 lbs to 202 lbs 25.0 to 29.9 Overweight
203 lbs or more 30 or higher Obese
It is important to remember that although BMI correlates with the amount of body fat, BMI does not
directly measure body fat. As a result, some people, such as athletes, may have a BMI that identifies
them as overweight even though they do not have excess body fat. For more information about BMI,
visit Body Mass Index.
Other methods of estimating body fat and body fat distribution include measurements of skinfold
thickness and waist circumference, calculation of waist-to-hip circumference ratios, and techniques
such as ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Definitions for Children and Teens
For children and teens, BMI ranges above a normal weight have different labels (at risk of
overweight and overweight). Additionally, BMI ranges for children and teens are defined so that
they take into account normal differences in body fat between boys and girls and differences in body
fat at various ages. For more information about BMI for children and teens (also called BMI-forage), visit BMI for Children and Teens.
Assessing Health Risks Associated with Overweight and Obesity
BMI is just one indicator of potential health risks associated with being overweight or obese. For
assessing someone’s likelihood of developing overweight- or obesity-related diseases, the National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines recommend looking at two other predictors:
The individual’s waist circumference (because abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related
diseases).
Other risk factors the individual has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for
example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity).
April 2, 2004 - PMM.com (Updated May 02, 2006)
Millions of people from around the world suffer from malnutrition either from not enough
food or in this case too much food. It is malnutrition in regards to the ill effects overeating
and therefore Obesity has on the human body. If not caught in time, overeating can have
detrimental effects on the body leading to many illnesses including but not limited to
Diabetes (type II), hypertension (high blood preasure) and heart desiese not to mention the
emotional distress. The good news is that in most cases (if not all) this is something that
may be prevented by not overeating. Thre is one basic formula to this; Eat Less and
Exercise More! As easy as this sounds, many people do not take the necessary steps to do
this and therefore we (the United States) are suffering from an epidemic of large
proportions (no pun intended).
Pmm Fact # 1: America is OVER EATING.
Yes, we eat too much, we advertise food too much, and we ignore that overeating is
causing detrimental damage and increased healthcare costs. America eats too much Fast
Food, which often lacks the necessary nutrients and is high in caloric value. You might
save money on fast food, but in the long run, will you really save?
Please look through the statistics and judge for yourself:
American Obesity Statistics
USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions
• 58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
• Eight out of 10 over 25's Overweight
• 78% of American's not meeting basic activity level recommendations
• 25% completely Sedentary
• 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990
Bar graph from the Oxford Health alliance (click link if interested):
http://www.oxha.org/knowledge/backgrounders/overweight_and_obesity.gif/view
Obesity Related Diseases
• 80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
• 70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
• 42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
• 30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
Childhood Obesity Running Out of Control
• 4% overweight 1982 | 16% overweight 1994
• 25% of all white children overweight 2001
• 33% African American and Hispanic children overweight 2001
• Hospital costs associated with childhood obesity rising from $35 Million (1979) to $127
Million (1999)
Childhood Obesity Running Out of Control
• New study suggests one in four overweight children is already showing early signs of type
II diabetes (impaired glucose intolerance)
Surge in Childhood Diabetes
• Between 8% - 45% of newly diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes are type II,
associated with obesity.
• Whereas 4% of Childhood diabetes was type II in 1990, that number has risen to
approximately 20%
• Depending on the age group (Type II most frequent 10-19 group) and the racial/ethnic
mix of group stated
• Of Children diagnosed with Type II diabetes, 85% are obese
This research information was prepared by independent authors. It has been reproduced in
its entirety or as a collection of information gathered from multiple resources and research
data. WIN is not liable for any inaccuracies found in any third party written articles or
research.
References: National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and
My.WebMD.com website.
COMPLICATIONS OF OBESITY
Obesity is not only having too many pounds to carry, that generally makes us feel and look
ugly and unattractive but: OBESITY IS A DISEASE that reduces our life span, makes us
slow,does not let us move as fast as we should ,which genarally makes us annoyed,
criticized and sometimes even attacked.
The BOTTOM LINE: It is the the fastest growing epidemic in our country.
Like any other DISEASE, there Are ways TO PREVENT IT , and we have been stressing in
our Organization that THE BEST MEDICINE IS PREVENTIVE MEDICINE . Why wait until
we are sick IF WE CAN PREVENT THE DISEASE from the before it starts!
HOW TO PREVENT OBESITY
Many of us know the answer to this, but us choose to ignore them: EAT LESS! Count
Calories! Excercise More!
PMM Fact #2: If you eat less and excercise more, you will shed those
pounds!
It seems easy to say, but difficult to do it and we most seem to know it.
PMM Fact # 2 (again!): if you eat less and excercise more, you will shed those pounds!
So, in PREVENTING OBESITY we need to think in the following EQUATION: HOW MUCH
WE EAT AND HOW MUCH EXERCISE do WE DO . Physical activities include sports
(running,soccer,tennis,football,racket ball,etc.) but also includes simply : WALKING
REGULARLY or any physical activity that gets the heart pumping!.
So, this EQUATION IS composed of two factors: how much we eat and WHAT WE EAT,
plus DO WE DO EXERCISE, and HOW MUCH EXERCISE WE DO DAILY. ASK youself
these simple questions an YOU TOO can PREVENT OBESITY!
PMM SUGESTION: We can write down what we eat, and approximately how much we eat
, and actually we can use tables to determine THE APPROXIMATE AMOUNT OF
CALORIES WE EAT on a daily basis, and the approximate AMOUNT OF CALORIES WE
SPEND WITH EXERCISING. It is as simple as 1.2.3.!
Keep TABS on what you eat. Stay conscious of what you eat, which means, YES, it is
probably a good idea to eliminate FAST FOOD from your diet. Not all fast food is bad, but it
generally is concerned in getting the food to you fast not your health
If concerned, ask the fast food establishment for a calorie chart and try and keep your daily
calorie intake LESS than 2,000 Calories.
Remember PMM.com fact # 2: EAT LESS and excercise more!
http://www.pmmedia.com/obesitypage1.htm