American Obesity Facts

It is said that one in every three or in other words 58 million Americans who are roughly between the ages of 20 and 74 suffer from a very common disease known as obesity or are overweight. As per the data collected from the Third National Health and also from the Nutritional Examination Survey commonly known as the NHANES III, the number of overweight Americans has raised its level from a 25 to a 33 percent jump in between the years of 1980 and 1991. This survey also lays stress on the minority populations especially the minority women are actually disproportionately affected by it. There is an approximate of fifty percent of African American as well as Mexican American women who come under the category of being overweight or being obese.

In another similar definition more than one in five children and even adolescents who are between the ages of 6 to 17 are also considered obese. A more rigorous definition which is recommended for youths would put it as 11 percent of all the children are overweight which is way up compared to a 5 percent back in the 1960's and 1970's. Overweight as well as obesity is a well known factor for the cause of diabetes, critical heart conditions, high blood pressure, gallbladder diseases, arthritis, some sorts of cancer and as well as breathing problems like asthma.

Obesity can be a very complicated and multi-factorial chronic disease which would involve environmental (social as well as cultural), genetic, physiological, metabolic, behavioral and finally a psychological components. In the United States obesity is known to be the second largest as well as leading cause of preventable deaths.

Overweight as well as obesity are both a part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. They had a particular health agenda from which they have slowly swayed away and also moved away from their established targets which was to bring about an improvement in the case of obesity in the country. Overweight or obesity is public health problem which the public health leaders feel that it is being neglected. Further discussed are certain facts which would actually be an impact of obesity on millions of Americans of almost all ages and both genders.

As per different survey carried out all over the country it has been noticed that almost 127 adults in the United States are overweight, 60 million obese and almost 9 million are severely obese. The body mass index is a specific measurement tool which is used to determine and check if a person is overweight or not. If the body mass index goes above 25 then it means that the person is actually overweight and if it crosses 30 then he is considered obese. Sever obesity comes with crossing the bar at 40. Obesity tends to increase the risk of having an illness from about 30 different medical conditions. Type 2 diabetes was an earlier onset of obesity related diseases. These are being reported among children and adolescents who are suffering from obesity. Individuals suffering from obesity have a high risk for impaired mobility.

• Juliana Breckinridge
• 26/04/2009, 4:59 AM
• 0 Comments