Is obesity a modern day epidemic?
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Many deficiency disorders, such as goiter, were fairly common as the twentieth century began, and these deficiency diseases are still a concern in many underdeveloped countries. However, embracing the 21st century, the greatest nutritional concern worldwide is not one of deficiency but toxicity! Obesity is a condition resulting from chronic excessive energy consumption leading to accumulation of excessive body fat. Obesity is considered a disease because it can negatively impact numerous internal operations and the signs and symptoms include high blood pressure, high blood lipids, glucose intolerance, and often complaints of lethargy. Also, obesity has an emotional impact as well as individuals are more likely to experience depression and reduced perception of self worth. |
What are some ways to gauge body weight status?
The term overweight is used to describe an individual’s body weight relative to a reference or what has been deemed a more ideal body weight (IBW). There are several methods used to gauge classify body weight. Today, however, the most globally accepted method is Body Mass Index (BMI). Body Mass Index (BMI) is derived by taking a person’s weight and dividing it by their height by his or her height squared (see Table below 8.5).
A BMI under 25 is considered healthier because the risk of body weight related diseases is lower. As BMI climbs above 25 the risk of diseases increases. Recent estimates using BMI suggest that almost two-thirds of American adults and roughly 3 out of 5 Canadian adults are overweight.
BMI Categories |
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BMI = Weight (kg) / Height2 (m) or |
703 x (Weight (lb) / Height2 (in)) |
Click for a PDF of BMI Calculations
What exactly is obesity?
Simply stated, obesity is a state of excessive body fat. Based on research using Body Mass Index (BMI) almost one-third of American adults are obese. However, one potential downfall to using BMI as a measure for obesity is that BMI is not sensitive to body composition. Remember, obesity refers to excessive contribution of fat to an individual’s body weight, not necessarily total body weight. However, more times than not, the two go hand in hand.
One exception is in the case of heavier yet more muscular people. These people would include bodybuilders and other strength athletes who train with weights. The training leads to the development of greater than typical amounts of muscle tissue. Thus, if we merely use body weight to determine the BMI of a five-feet, ten-inch 220-pound man with 12 percent body fat would have a BMI over 30 and would be considered obese. Consequently, to accurately identify obesity, we must measure body fatness, not just body weight. A body fat percentage greater than 25 percent for men and 30 percent for women is generally considered obese.
What health concerns are associated with obesity?
Time and time again researchers have reported that strong associations exist between obesity and the occurrence of various diseases. These diseases include hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes mellitus, arthritis, gallstones, heart disease, and various forms of cancer. Also, obesity increases the risk of complications during pregnancy as well as surgical procedures. Furthermore, obese people tend to live relatively shorter lives in general.
The risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus is particularly disturbing. Roughly 90 percent of the people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus are obese. What has also become clear is that when these people reduce their body fat, this disease lessens in severity. Whether obesity is a direct cause of type 2 diabetes mellitus remains unclear, but scientists have determined that as fat cells swell during the accumulation of more fat, they release factors that probably make the disease worse.
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