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Department of Health and Human Services > Epidemiology
and Disease Reporting > Epidemiology
Corner > An
Epidemic of Obesity
Epidemiology
Corner
July
16, 2004
An Epidemic of Obesity
Obesity has become one of the
most important health problems in Texas. More than 61 percent
of adults and 35 percent of school age children are considered
obese in Texas.1 The number of obese people is increasing2
rapidly and its rising limits are unpredictable.3
Obesity is responsible for a number of the most common medical
ailments and must be considered a disease. Heart disease, type
2 diabetes, stroke and few types of cancer are just some of
the serious health problems associated with obesity.
Obesity is the condition where
an excess amount of fat is deposited in body. One may be overweight
with muscle, bone or water deposition, without being obese.
A certain amount of fat is required by everyone for stored energy
and heat resistance. Women with more than 30 percent body fat
and men with more than 25 percent body fat are considered obese.4
Women generally deposit fat in their hips and waist while
men usually build up fat around their abdomen. Deposition of
fat around the abdomen, defined as upper body obesity, is linked
to higher cardiovascular risk than the deposition of fat in
the hips which is called lower body obesity.5 Increased
mortality is associated with the extent of obesity and with
its duration.4
Obesity is caused by an excess
of energy consumption (eating) over energy expenditure (physical
activity.6 Some of the contributing factors to obesity
are genetics, overeating, decreased physical activity and /
or defective fat metabolism. Overeating is a leading contributor
to obesity. Americans tend to eat foods rich in fat and most
do not get enough physical activity to burn the extra fat.7
Some people eat in response to psychological conditions such
as depression, grief or rage. The treatment of obesity includes
diet adjustment, physical activity or both.4 The
prime methodology to control obesity involves behavior modification
related to diet and exercise. The behavior changes to control
weight must be life-long changes. Some of the key components
of obesity control in adults are:4
Body Mass Index (BMI) should
be used to assess obesity. BMI is calculated by dividing the
weight in pounds by the square of height in inches and multiplying
by 703.[weight in lbs./(height in inches.)2 *703]
In adults, a BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese.5
Body weight can be used to track
weight loss. Abdominal fat loss can be estimated by measuring
waist circumference.
Dietary fat and dietary carbohydrates
should be lessened to reduce calorie intake.
Moderate levels of physical
activity for 30 to 45 minutes, 3 to 5 days a week is highly
recommended.
A targeted weight loss of 1
to 2 pounds per week over a period of six months should be the
main strategy.
A permanent weight maintenance
program should be adopted life-long after
the initial six months of weight loss.
For more information
on the obesity visit the CDC website Overweight and Obesity
at https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity.
REFERENCES
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Texas Behavior
Risk Surveillance 2001 https://www.cdc.gov/brfss
2. Strauss RS, Pollack HA. Epidemic increase in childhood overweight
1986 – 1998 JAMA 2001
3. Kimm SYS, Obarzanek E. Childhood obesity a new pandemic of
the new mellinium Pediatrics 2002
4. National Institutes of Health. Clinical guidelines on the
identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and
obesity in adults. Bethesda, Maryland: Dept. of Health and Human
Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute, 1998
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nutrition and
Activity. Defining overweight and obesity. www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity
6. U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and
Decrease Overweight and Obesity, 2001
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nutrition and
Activity. Factors contributing to obesity. www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity
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