Obesity Overview
The United States is currently in the midst of an epidemic. Obesity is plaguing our population. According to the State of Obesity, adult obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in five states, 30 percent in 25 states, and 25 percent in 46 states. These statistics remain staggering and jaw dropping. Take for instance that according to the CDC more than 1/3 (36.5%) of adults are obese in the United States. Obesity can cause many other co-morbidity conditions too. This includes but is not limited to, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and various forms of cancer. From a financial perspective, it has been estimates that the annual medical costs of obesity was around $147 billion in 2008. This is around $1429 higher than a person …show more content…
To calculate your body mass percentage, you take your body weight and divide it by your height squared. A BMI between 25%-30% is regarded as overweight and a BMI above 30% is regarded as obese. In regards to how the current BMI is determined, an estimated 160 million Americans are either considered obese or overweight. The highest proportion of overweight and obese people – 13% of the global total – live in the United States, a country which accounts for only 5% of the world’s population, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis of trend data from 188 countries. In addition to this, nearly 30% of boys and girls under the age of 20 are either obese or overweight too. This is up from 19% in 1980. I think these are all alarming statistics, however the way we determine BMI isn’t optimal. People, come in all shapes and sizes, and a one size fits all approach, at its core is flawed. Considerations that should be taken into account is a person with optimal muscle tone, will actually score a higher BMI than a person with higher fat and of the same weight. With obesity being such a high concern in the public eye, a more accurate way of determine body fat percentage is …show more content…
Both of these can have serious impact on your health and this will likely extend beyond its immediate impact. This could potentially increase missed work days, and loss in productivity too. Patients are often self-conscious about their appearance and physician abilities. As this intensifies, they may withdraw themselves from social activities and further self-medicate by eating more. This is a recipe for disaster and continued weight gain. In extreme scenarios the patient may even take their own life. This linkage leads us into our next topic of
The United States is currently in the midst of an epidemic. Obesity is plaguing our population. According to the State of Obesity, adult obesity rates now exceed 35 percent in five states, 30 percent in 25 states, and 25 percent in 46 states. These statistics remain staggering and jaw dropping. Take for instance that according to the CDC more than 1/3 (36.5%) of adults are obese in the United States. Obesity can cause many other co-morbidity conditions too. This includes but is not limited to, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and various forms of cancer. From a financial perspective, it has been estimates that the annual medical costs of obesity was around $147 billion in 2008. This is around $1429 higher than a person …show more content…
To calculate your body mass percentage, you take your body weight and divide it by your height squared. A BMI between 25%-30% is regarded as overweight and a BMI above 30% is regarded as obese. In regards to how the current BMI is determined, an estimated 160 million Americans are either considered obese or overweight. The highest proportion of overweight and obese people – 13% of the global total – live in the United States, a country which accounts for only 5% of the world’s population, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis of trend data from 188 countries. In addition to this, nearly 30% of boys and girls under the age of 20 are either obese or overweight too. This is up from 19% in 1980. I think these are all alarming statistics, however the way we determine BMI isn’t optimal. People, come in all shapes and sizes, and a one size fits all approach, at its core is flawed. Considerations that should be taken into account is a person with optimal muscle tone, will actually score a higher BMI than a person with higher fat and of the same weight. With obesity being such a high concern in the public eye, a more accurate way of determine body fat percentage is …show more content…
Both of these can have serious impact on your health and this will likely extend beyond its immediate impact. This could potentially increase missed work days, and loss in productivity too. Patients are often self-conscious about their appearance and physician abilities. As this intensifies, they may withdraw themselves from social activities and further self-medicate by eating more. This is a recipe for disaster and continued weight gain. In extreme scenarios the patient may even take their own life. This linkage leads us into our next topic of