Obesity is a national epidemic, and evolving research has demonstrated that it increases the risk of a variety of diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, colon cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer, endometrial cancer, gallbladder disease, osteoporosis, and obstructive sleep apnea.
Obesity Rate Rises Over Past 20 Years -- The Total Number Of Obese Adults Has Risen From 12% to nearly 18% of Total U.S. Population
\The number of Americans who are thinking about dieting and losing weight is probably at an all-time high. But surprisingly, so too are the number of Americans who are overweight. The medical profession defines a person as being over weight if their Basal Metabolic Index (BMI) is greater than 25. A person is considered to be obese if their BMI greater than 30). The number of people who are either overweight or obese now represents at least 30% of the U.S. population. The percentage of children and adolescents who are overweight has also doubled since the early 1970's. This bodes a raising concerns for long-term health effects as these children and adolescents become adults. Being overweight and obese increased ones risk for heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes. By mid-1999, there were 7.1 million physician visits related to weight concerns. It is estimate that today there is likely more than 10 million office visits aa year related to health conditions created by being overweight or obese.
Who Is Obesity?
Obesity has increased in all levels of the American population men, women and children. It has moved across all social groups. The largest increases have occurred in the younger age groups and those with higher educational levels.
Among Hispanic men, the prevalence of obesity increased from 10% in 1991 to 18.3% in 1997 and in Hispanic women from 13.2% to 23.4%. In 1991, 4 out of 45 states surveyed had obesity rates of 15% and higher. By 1998, 37 states had rates higher than 15%.
Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome
It has long been known that obesity is linked to the metabolic syndrome, a precursor of type 2 diabetes. A recent study concluded that individuals in the upper-normal-weight, overweight or obese having an elevated BMI greater than 25 is in the range of having an increased risk for metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is said to occur if any 3 out of the 5 criteria of health are met:
Central abdominal obesity that is excess fat distributed around the waist, the so-called "spare tire." In men, a waist size greater than 40 inches, and in women, a waist size of 35 inches or more.
Elevated fasting blood triglyceride levels, greater than 150 mg/dl.
Low fasting blood HDL-Cholesterol levels, less than 50 mg/dl.
Blood pressure greater than 140/90
Elevated fasting blood sugar, greater than 110 mg/dl.
These abnormal levels of fat cell proteins in the bloodstream are thought to contribute to insulin resistance, which then increases fasting blood sugar levels, which then appears to lead to the development of type 2 diabetes and eventually heart disease. Many researchers believe that screening individuals with normal or slightly elevated BMI (greater than 25) is important in the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Because of the heightened awareness of obesity and its link to disease we make available to you two websites where you , the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases provides a science-based information website on weight control, physical activity, obesity, and related nutritional issues for consumers as well as health professionals. The Web site is www. niddk.nih.gov/ health/nutrit/nutrit.htm.
The Picture Gets Darker and More Compelling to Lose Weight
Almost every month, a new reason for obese people to be concerned arises. Recent research has found a higher risk of leukemia among older overweight women. University of Minnesota researchers concluded that being overweight or obese could more than double the slight risk of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in women 55 years of age and older. AML is one of the deadliest leukemias and accounts for one third of the 33,000 leukemia cases diagnosed annually in the United States. According to the study, a 5-foot, 4-inch woman who weighs between 146 and 174 pounds is considered overweight; if she weighs more than 175 pounds, she is considered obese.
Diet and Inactivity
There appear to be two main reasons for the increased in overweight and obese people. 1) Refined food diet and 2) lack of exercise.
While diet is a major reason for obesity, all obesity does not occur from too much sugar or fat in the diet. While fat and sugar do appear to cause some and even substantial weight gain they are not the only factors. Another major factor is that the American (and most industrialized countries around the world) are eating almost entirely refined and processed food diets. Clearly this type of diet is high in refined sugars and fats, but also low in many important nutrients, vitamins, minerals and trace minerals and nutrients. The food most Americans are eating is seriously deficient in many essential nutrients. Hence many people are actually starving and this means that they are more hungry and hence eat more refined and processed foods seriously increasing total calorie intake and further depleting the body of much needed nutrients.
The other reason for the increase in overweight and obesity persons is a decline in physical activity. In addition to inactivity. The human body developed over millions of years and during this many formative years life was generally much more physical than it is now. People walk less, less manual work is done, people drive instead of go by horse back and hence our muscles the largest fat burning organ in our body are smaller and less well developed hence burn considerably less fat.
Many physicians believe we are dealing with an "epidemic" of excess weight and obesity. We urge the public to chose much better and more balanced food intake. Meals higher in fresh fruits and vegetables. We also urge a significant reduction of refined and processed foods. Another request is for increased physical activity, and more interest in weight maintenance and weight reduction programs and alerting more people to the negative health consequences of obesity.
Am I Obese?
Today we catagorize obesity in four groups:
1. The Preobese: those individuals with a BMI of 25-29.9
2. Classes 1 Obesity: those individuals with a BMI of 30-34.9
3. Classes 2 Obesity: those individuals with a BMI of 35-39.94
4. Classes 3 Obesity: those individuals with a BMI which is greater than 40