What is obesity?
BMI (Body Mass Index)
How can you prevent overweight and obesity?
For more information
What is obesity? What is overweight? And what is the difference?
Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height.
Obesity is defined as an excessively high amount of body fat in relation to lean body mass. The amount of body fat is of concern for both the distribution of fat throughout the body and the size of the fat deposits.
Overweight refers to increased body weight in relation to height, when compared to some standard of acceptable or desirable weight.
Overweight and obese individuals are at an increased risk for many diseases and health conditions, including the following:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Dyslipidemia (high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Coronary heart disease
- Stroke
- Gallbladder disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
- Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
During the past 20 years, obesity among adults has risen significantly in the United States. 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.
Among children and teens aged 6–19 years, 16 percent (over 9 million young people) are considered overweight[i].
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BMI (Body Mass Index)
BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It is a number showing body weight in relation to height. BMI can be calculated using inches and pounds, or meters and kilograms. For adults aged 20 years or older, BMI falls into one of these categories: underweight, normal, overweight, or obese.
For children and teens, BMI is age-and sex-specific and is often referred to as BMI-for-age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prefers to use the terminology at-risk for overweight and overweight when referring to children and adolescents. This is partly because body fatness changes over the years as children grow; therefore BMI is interpreted differently for children versus adults. The same formula is used to calculate BMI for children and adults. However, for children age 2-20 BMI relies on age and gender. Growth charts are used to determine BMI in children and can be found at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.
To determine BMI for adults or children and teens, use the BMI Calculator.
NOTE: Overweight may or may not be due to an increase in body fat. It may also be due to an increase in lean muscle. For example, professional athletes may be very lean and muscular, with very little body fat, yet they may weigh more than others of the same height. While they may qualify as "overweight" due to their large muscle mass, they are not necessarily "over fat," regardless of BMI[ii].
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How can you prevent overweight and obesity?
A weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your initial body weight can improve your health by lowering blood pressure and other risk factors for obesity-related diseases. In addition, research shows that people at high risk for diabetes or who have pre-diabetes (a condition in which a person’s blood glucose level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes) are able to delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes by adopting a low-fat, low-calorie diet and exercising for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
Weight control is a life-long effort, and having realistic expectations about weight loss is important. Eating a healthy diet and getting at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week have huge health benefits. Sixty minutes of physical activity a day may be required to prevent gradual weight gain in adulthood. Previously overweight and obese individuals are encouraged to get 60 to 90 minutes of exercise a day to sustain weight loss[iii].
It is important to note that obesity and overweight are linked to nutrition and physical activity. For more information on those topics, visit our nutrition and physical activity pages.
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For more information
For more information on understanding and preventing overweight and obesity, visit:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Full of the latest information, data, and links on obesity and overweight for people of all ages.
Body Mass Index (BMI): This CDC site provides information on BMI as well as access to a BMI calculator to measure body fat in relation to height for both adults and children.
The National Institute of Health’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Weight Information Network: Offering information, publications and many resources on obesity, overweight, physical activity and nutrition.
Aim for a Healthy Weight: Guidelines and tips to healthy and effective weight loss.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005: Provides nutrition information and guidelines to promote health and prevent chronic disease.
American Heart Association: Provides information on AHA's scientific position on obesity and heart disease as well as links to AHA resources and documents.
For parents and kids:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy Youth: Informative health topics for adolescents and ways to promote health in the schools.
We CAN! A Parent Handbook: Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition. We Can! is a national education program providing information and tips for parents and caregivers to help children stay at a healthy weight.
Body and Mind: Healthy Living for Kids: An interactive site full of games and quizzes to teach kids about fitness, food and nutrition, disease, and safety.
American Obesity Association: Full of information, research and treatment for obesity.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Comprehensive site for kids and adults, full of links and resources on prevention and treatment of obesity and overweight.
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