Obesity can lead to a host of physical and
social ailments. Why are obesity rates rising, and what is considered obese
anyway?
It seems everywhere we
turn we hear about obesity. The statistics. The dangers. The effect it has on
all areas of one’s life. The annual Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey released
this week, which tracks respondents' self-reported height and weight data,
revealed that its tracked national obesity rate has risen to 27.7 percent — up
from 25.5 in 2008. Mississippi has the highest obesity rate at 35.2 percent,
while Hawaii is the only state where fewer than 1 in 5 residents are obese. And
for the first time since 2008, there has been a sharp increase in the number of
obese Americans ages 65 and older.
We know weight gain —
especially excessive weight gain — is bad, but when you’re surrounded by
all-you-can-eat buffets and communities not designed for walking, is there any
hope of winning the battle of the bulge? The answer is a resounding yes, and
the first step is knowing what obesity is and how it affects all of us.
Obesity: What Is It?
Over the last 25
years, obesity rates have been climbing steadily. While the Gallup-Healthways
Well-Being Index finds 27.7 percent of Americans are obese, the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) estimate that nearly 35 percent of adults and 18 to
21 percent of children are obese.
In layman’s terms, obesity is
carrying enough body fat to put an individual at risk for a variety of ailments
including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke,
pulmonary disease, reproductive disorders, osteoarthritis, and cancer, among
others. “In short, obesity can affect functioning of all major body organ
systems,” says Jennifer Nasser, RD, PhD, assistant professor in the department
of biology at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Obesity is typically
determined by figuring out an individual’s body mass index (BMI) using a formula that includes his or her height and
weight. For an adult, a number of 25 or larger falls in the overweight
category, while a value of 30 or more is considered obese.
This formula is not
appropriate for children and teens, however. “BMIs for children and teens are
age- and gender-specific because the amount of body fat changes with age and
growth and differs between boys and girls,” says Rose Clifford, RD, clinical dietitian
in the department of pharmacy services at the Washington Hospital Center in
Washington, D.C. The CDC offers an accurate BMI calculator for those under
age 20 with their Child and Teen BMI Calculator.
Obesity: What Causes It?
A variety of factors
are converging to cause the current obesity epidemic. “More people are becoming
obese because of the foods that are available and inexpensive,” says Caroline
M. Apovian, MD, director of the Center for Nutrition and Weight Management at
the Boston Medical Center. “We are eating 200 more calories per day than we did
50 years ago.”
Technology has made
our lives easier, yet also more sedentary as we drive instead of walk and
e-mail instead of wandering by a colleague’s desk. The environment, too, can be
causing us to add extra pounds. “Weight gain results from the interaction
between genes and environment,” says Linda Bacon, PhD, associate nutritionist
at the University of California, Davis. “Environmental conditions are changing
and some people’s genes make them susceptible to gaining weight in the current
environmental conditions.” Bacon says that these include increased toxins in
the environment, some of which cause changes in hormones which lead us to store
fat, and changes in our eating habits — some of the nutrients more common today
don’t trigger our internal weight regulation mechanisms as readily as foods
from nature do.
Obesity: What Are Its Effects?
Besides health
dangers, obesity can cause economic hardships and psychological effects
including depression and self-esteem issues. Perhaps worst of all is the
discrimination suffered by those who are obese. “Discrimination against larger
people now exceeds that based on race and gender,” says Bacon.
And the effects don't
stop there. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index also asked
respondents to rate their overall well-being. The survey defines
well-being through five key areas: purpose (liking what you do each day),
social (relationships), financial, community (liking where you live), and
physical (having good health and energy to get things done). The survey found
that obese Americans are more likely to suffer in these key areas than
those who are not obese.
While obesity can be
affected by genetics and the environment, there is still plenty you can do to
fight it. Schedule an appointment with your doctor to discuss which
weight-loss and treatment options are right for you. Stay active by
scheduling exercise into your routine and avoid spending too much time on
sedentary activities like TV-watching. And make healthy diet choices
— with correct portion sizes and at least five servings of fruits and
vegetables daily.