Fitness and Fun
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Posted:Jan 18, 2012 10:55 pm
Last Updated:Jan 19, 2012 1:48 am
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One question that I frequently get is why are so many people overweight. This can be summed up quite simply, we eat too much and move too little. Over the last 150 years advances in technology, industrialization, and automation have decreased the need for physical work, allowed a greater amount of leisure time and at the same time increased food availability. In one way these advances are positive, however there have been negative impacts on the population’s health. Obesity and overweight in both and adults has become a global epidemic in industrialized countries and some developing nations. The prevalence of obesity is as high as 50% in some nations around the world. Recent data from the US national health and nutrition examination survey survey showed that 30.5% of US adults are obese and 64.5% of the adult population is overweight. National surveys in the US have shown that the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than doubled since the early 1960s. These increases in childhood obesity may lead to far greater numbers of adult obesity in the future.
If you are not overweight or obese this may not seem much of a problem for you. However when you consider the public health concern, we can see that obesity is a problem for everyone not just our neighbors. Being overweight or obese significantly raises the risk of morbidity from hypertension; type II diabetes; coronary heart disease; gallbladder disease; osteoarthritis sleep apnea; respiratory problems; and endometrial ,breast, prostate, and colon cancers. These are just a few startling statistics in regards to obesity. Overweight and obesity are the 2nd leading cause of preventable death in the US.
Percent of noninstitutionalized adults age 20 years and over who are overweight or obese: 67% (2005-2006)
Percent of noninstitutionalized adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 34% (2005-2006)
Percent of adolescents age 12-19 years who are overweight: 18% (2005-2006)
Percent of age 6-11 years who are overweight: 15% (2005-2006)
Percent of age 2-5 years who are overweight: 11% (2005-2006)
People who are obese have a significantly greater amounts of adipose tissue and excess weight than the rest of the population. overweight and obesity is typically measured by the body mass index or BMI. The standard BMI has four classes underweight,normal, overweight and obese. Obesity can be further classified into three classes from moderate obesity to extreme obesity. In future articles we will discuss the calculations of BMI and why body fat percentage may actually be a better way to measure overall body fat.
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