Overweight and Obesity Frequently Asked Questions

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article syndicated from CDC
updated on 09/01/2006 at 02:09PM

What is the prevalence of overweight and obesity among U.S. adults?

In 1999–2000, an estimated 30% of U.S adults aged 20 years and older — nearly 59 million people — were obese, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more.
Source: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2000.
In 1999–2000, an estimated 64% of U.S adults aged 20 years and older were either overweight or obese, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more.
Source: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2000.

What is the prevalence of overweight among U.S. children?

In 1999–2000, an estimated 15% of children and adolescents aged 6–19 years were overweight, defined as a body mass index for age and sex at or above the 95th percentile of the CDC growth charts.
Source: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2000.

What is the difference between overweight and obese?

An adult is considered "overweight" when he/she is are above a healthy weight, which varies according to a person's height. An individual is overweight when their BMI is between 25-29.9. The standard used by researchers to define a person's weight according to their height is "body mass index" (BMI).
An adult with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. For example, for a 5'4" woman, this means that she is 30 or more pounds over her healthy weight

Why are so many people overweight or obese today?

There are a number of factors that influence overweight or obesity, including

Behavior-eating too many calories while not getting enough physical activity.
Environment-home, work, school, or community can provide barriers to or opportunities for an active lifestyle.
Genetics-heredity plays a large role in determining how susceptible people are to overweight and obesity. Genes also influence how the body burns calories for energy or stores fat.

Behavioral and environmental factors are the main contributors to overweight and obesity and provide the greatest opportunities for prevention and treatment.

How does overweight and obesity affect your health?

If you are overweight, you are more likely to develop health problems; such as

heart disease
stroke
diabetes
cancer (such as colon cancer, endometrial cancer, and postmenopausal breast cancer)
gallbladder disease
sleep apnea (interrupted breathing during sleep)
osteoarthritis (wearing away of the joints

The more overweight you are, the more likely you are to have health problems. Weight loss and regular exercise can help improve the harmful effects of being overweight. Studies show if you are overweight or obese, losing 5%-10% of your body weight can improve your health.

What can be done about this major public health problem?

The Surgeon General recently called for a broad approach to avoid and reduce obesity. He challenged families, schools, work sites, health care providers, communities, and the media to work together to prevent and reduce obesity through:

Communication-by educating, motivating, and empowering decision makers at all levels to create healthier communities.
Action-by helping Americans balance healthy eating with regular physical activity.
Research and Evaluation-by improving the general public's understanding of the causes, prevention, and treatment of overweight and obesity.

What are the costs associated with overweight and obesity?

In 2000, the cost of obesity in the United States was more than $117 billion.
Poor nutrition and physical inactivity account for some 300,000 premature deaths in the United States each year.

What is CDC doing to address the problem of overweight and obesity?

In October 2000, CDC's Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity funded a number of state health departments to help them develop and carry out targeted nutrition and physical activity interventions in an effort to prevent chronic diseases, especially obesity.

What does CDC recommend to help people lose weight?

The safest and most effective way to lose weight is to reduce calories and increase physical activity. It is best to consult with your personal physician or health care professional for advice to meet your needs.
Government research and recommendations can provide the facts based on science so that people can make informed choices about appropriate weight loss. The fact is most people who are attempting weight loss are not using the correct method to achieve or maintain positive results.

Article syndicated from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/faq.htm
June 2004