Obesity Facts

Submitted By lottie95
Words: 1268
Pages: 6
Open Document
Facts and figures on obesity
30 April, 2012 http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/04/obesityfacts/
This information is aimed at healthcare professionals and others wanting to find out about the government’s policy and work on obesity. If you are looking for advice about losing weight and a healthy lifestyle, visit the ‘Lose weight’ section on NHS Choices.
What is obesity?
‘Obesity’ is a clinical term used to describe excess body fat associated with increased risks to health. Being obese can increase the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Not only does obesity affect people’s health, their lives and the lives of their families, but it places a large financial burden on the NHS and the wider economy.
Obesity figures
The prevalence of obesity in England has more than tripled in the last 25 years – find out more about obesity trends on the National Obesity Observatory website.
The latest Health Survey for England (HSE) data shows that in England in 2010:
62.8% of adults (aged 16 or over) were overweight or obese
30.3% of children (aged 2-15) were overweight or obese
26.1% of all adults and 16% of all children were obese
Foresight’s Tackling Obesities: Future Choices report, published in October 2007, predicted that if no action was taken, 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children in Britain would be obese by 2050. Recently reported modelling suggests that without action 41-48% of men and 35-43% of women could be obese by 2030.
See the Health Survey for England 2010 trend tables.
Measuring obesity
The most common method of measuring obesity is calculating an individual’s Body Mass Index (BMI). This is calculated by dividing a person’s weight measurement (in kilograms) by the square of their height (in metres). See the BMI healthy weight calculator on the NHS Choices site.
In adults, a BMI of 25 to 29.9 means that person is considered to be overweight, and a BMI of 30 or above means that person is considered to be obese.
In children and adolescents, BMI varies with age and sex, so the BMI score for children and adolescents is related to the UK 1990 BMI growth reference charts in order to determine a child’s weight status.
BMI is the best way we have to measure the prevalence of obesity at the population level. No specialised equipment is needed and therefore it is easy to measure accurately and consistently across large populations. BMI is also widely used around the world, which enables comparisons between countries, regions and population sub-groups.
For most people, their BMI correlates well with their level of body fat. However, certain factors such as fitness and ethnic origin can sometimes alter the relationship between BMI and body fatness. So then other measurements such as waist circumference and skin fold thickness can also be collected to confirm an individual person’s weight status.
Find out more about measuring obesity on the National Obesity Observatory site.
Causes of obesity
Becoming overweight or obese is the result of eating more calories than needed and/or undertaking too little physical activity to match calorie intake. This energy imbalance is driven by a complex web of environmental, physiological and behavioural factors.
It is clear, however, that reducing overall energy intake is key to losing weight. Increasing physical activity can also be helpful alongside calorie reduction in achieving weight loss and sustaining a healthy body weight, as well as improving overall health.
Find out more about the causes of obesity on the National Obesity Observatory website.
Impact of obesity
Being obese or overweight brings significant risks at a range of different points throughout life. The health risks for adults are stark. We know that, compared with a healthy weight man, an obese man is: five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes three times more likely to develop cancer of the colon more than two and a half times more likely to develop high blood
Show More

Related Documents: Obesity Facts

Obesity Epidemic Essay

Obesity Epidemic By James Day and Michael Lucas Obesity is considered the number one most serious health issue facing the developed world. Globally there are over one billion overweight people, and at least 400 million of these are obese. More than 40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight in 2010. An adult (aged 20 or older) who has a BMI, or body mass index, greater or equal to 25 is considered overweight. An adult (aged 20 or older) who has a BMI greater or equal to 30 is considered…

Words 1181 - Pages 5

Obesity Epidemic In America

The Obesity Epidemic in America- By Nathan Dear Obesity is defined as “an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual’s ideal body weight” for their size, age and gender; this is determined by using a Body mass index (BMI) percentile, anyone in the 85th-95th percentile are considered overweight and anyone over the 95th percentile are considered obese. America’s obesity epidemic has reach an all high as of recently with the rate in West Virginia being at 37.7%, the highest…

Words 1860 - Pages 8

Obesity And Socioeconomic Status In Adults: United States

NCHS Data Brief ■ No. 50 ■ December 2010 Obesity and Socioeconomic Status in Adults: United States, 2005–2008 cynthia l. ogden, ph.d.; molly m. lamb, ph.d.; margaret d. carroll, m.s.p.h.; and Katherine m. flegal, ph.d. Key findings: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005– 2008 • Among men, obesity prevalence is generally similar at all income levels, however, among non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American men those with higher income are more likely to be…

Words 2208 - Pages 9

Childhood obesity Essay

Facts and figures of childhood obesity in New Zealand Childhood obesity Statistics from: http://www.health.govt.nz/nz-health-statistics/health-statistics-and-data-sets/obesity-data-and-stats Surveyed 2012/13 by the New Zealand Health Survey 1 in 9 children (aged 2-14) were obese (11%) A further 1 in 5 children were overweight (22%) 19% of Māori children were obese 27% of Pacific children were obese Children living in the most deprived areas were 3 times as likely to be obese as children…

Words 685 - Pages 3

Essay on Obesity: Nutrition and Larger Access Ways

American Obesity CAS100a In America today obesity is common place in our culture. Obesity is a problem that sprawls across the socio-economic platform affecting everyone. Today statistics representing obesity have astounding figures. In fact more than 1/3 of all American Adults are obese (around 36%). This figure does not even touch people who are just overweight which make up a larger demographic than the obese. In our culture currently we are more willing to make larger access ways, doorways…

Words 444 - Pages 2

Obesity Policy Strategies

ve Summary The obesity epidemic is rapidly advancing in the U.S., leading to physical and mental health problems as well as having financial impacts. Although there are existing federal programs and policies that address the obesity problem, these policies do not seem to account for the urgency of the current situation. It is essential to examine new policy strategies to combat the growing threat of obesity. Policy strategies explored in this paper include implementation of federal subsidization…

Words 658 - Pages 3

Childhood Obesity: A growing Epidemic in the U.S. Essay

http://search.proquest.com/pqrl/docview/205094903/13D9F2B535F289AC2EB/8?accountid=11789 Executive Summary Childhood overweight and obesity is a growing epidemic in the U.S. Among children today, obesity is causing a broad range of health problems that previously weren’t seen until adulthood. These include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels. There are also psychological effects which are obese children are more prone to low self-esteem, negative body image…

Words 500 - Pages 2

Obesity: Scientific Method and Quantitative Paradigm Essay

Over the past decade there has been a significant rise in the levels of obesity within children. Many children now suffer from obesity in fact one in four 11-15 year olds are now suffering from obesity. These figures show that our children are likely to develop health problems in the near future. According to Cancer Research UK (2008) the government is spending 372 million pounds in order to tackle growing levels of obesity. There are many methods of developing knowledge about hot topic/issues.…

Words 741 - Pages 3

Essay on Rhetorical Analysis: Too Much of a Good Thing

Rhetorical Analysis: Too Much of a Good Thing “At least 25% of all Americans under age nineteen are overweight or obese, a figure that has doubled over the last 30 years.” says Greg Crister in his article titled “Too Much of a Good Thing” which appeared on July 22, 2001 in the Los Angeles Times. In his article, Crister uses three common rhetorical strategies, ethos, pathos, and logos, in an attempt to persuade his audience, anyone raising children or interested in children's health issues, of how…

Words 1282 - Pages 6

The Progression Of Obesity In America

The Progression of Obesity in America July 29, 2013 Abstract In the past 30 years, obesity rates in America have skyrocketed. The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) most current figures show that over one third of America is Obese and another third is overweight. What many fail to realize is that obesity affects society as a whole. Obesity causes many other health defects as well. With rates of obesity forecast to continue to rise, we as a unified people must do something to address this…

Words 2132 - Pages 9