Overweight or Obese?
An adult is considered to be "overweight" when he/she is above a healthy weight, which varies according to a person's height. An individual is overweight when their BMI is between 25-29.9.
BMI is short for Body Mass Index, the standard used by researchers to define a person's weight according to their height. An adult with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. You can calculate your Body Mass Index by using Our BMI calculator.
Please note that being overweight may or may not be due to increases in body fat. It may also be due to an increase in lean muscle.
For example, a professional athlete may be very lean and muscular, with very little body fat, yet they could weigh more than others of the same height who are not as fit. While they may qualify as "overweight" due to their large muscle mass, they are not necessarily "over fat," regardless of their Body Mass Index.
In 1999, it was estimated that 61 percent of U.S. adults were either overweight or obese, defined as having a body mass index score of 25 or more. In the year 2000, a total of 38.8 million American adults met the classification of obesity, defined as having a body mass index score of 30 or more. This reflects a 61 percent increase since 1991.
It's Not Just Adults
And obesity isn't limited to adults only. There are nearly twice as many overweight children and almost three times as many overweight adolescents as there were in 1980.
In addition, the results of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999) showed that 13 percent of children and adolescents living in the U.S. were overweight.
According to a publication by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 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 better communication for healthier communities, healthier eating with regular physical activity and by educating general public on the causes, prevention, and treatment of overweight and obesity.
For more information on obesity, see:
If you think you are overweight or obese, talk with your doctor about designing a plan to help you lose weight and live a healthier life.
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