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Obesity

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CONDITIONS

Health Effects of Obesity

Persons with obesity are at risk of developing one or more serious medical conditions, which can cause poor health and premature death. Obesity is associated with more than 30 medical conditions, and scientific evidence has established a strong relationship with at least 15 of those conditions. Preliminary data also show the impact of obesity on various other conditions. Weight loss of about 10% of body weight, for persons with overweight or obesity, can improve some obesity-related medical conditions including diabetes and hypertension.

What is BMI?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a mathematical calculation used to determine whether a patient is overweight. BMI is calculated by dividing a person's body weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared (weight [kg] height [m]2) or by using the conversion with pounds (lbs) and inches (in) squared as shown below, This number can be misleading, however, for very muscular people, or for pregnant or lactating women.

Calculating BMI

[Weight (lbs) ÷ height (in)2 ] x 704.5 = BMI

Note: Being obese and being overweight are not the same condition. A BMI of 30 or more is considered obese and a BMI between 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight.

There are many factors that impact a person's health risk relative to their BMI such as a waist size, smoking, the types of foods someone eats regularly, exercise, and medical conditions associated with obesity including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and coronary heart disease.

What is Obesity?

Obesity is a disease that affects nearly one-third of the adult American population (approximately 60 million). The number of overweight and obese Americans has continued to increase since 1960, a trend that is not slowing down. Today, 64.5 percent of adult Americans (about 127 million) are categorized as being overweight or obese. Each year, obesity causes at least 300,000 excess deaths in the U.S., and healthcare costs of American adults with obesity amount to approximately $100 billion. Obesity is the second leading cause of unnecessary deaths. Despite its toll taken in death and disability, obesity does not receive the attention it deserves from government, the health care profession or the insurance industry. Research is severely limited by a shortage of funds. Inadequate insurance coverage limits access to treatment. Discrimination and mistreatment of persons with obesity is widespread and often considered socially acceptable.

Did You Know?

Obesity is a chronic disease with a strong familial component. Obesity increases one's risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes (type 2), heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease and cancer of the breast, prostate and colon. Health insurance providers rarely pay for treatment of obesity despite its serious effects on health. The tendency towards increasing obesity disease is fostered by our social environment: lack of physical activity combined with high-calorie, low-cost foods. If maintained, even weight losses as small as 10 percent of body weight can improve one's health. The National Institutes of Health annually spends less than 1.0 percent of its budget on obesity research. Persons with obesity are victims of employment and other discrimination, and are penalized for their condition despite many federal and state laws and policies.

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