Obesity: Body Mass Index and Weight
1. Obesity is the commonest health problem in our community
2. Obesity causes many diseases and markedly increases the risk of
Dying prematurely
3. Obesity also reduces quality of life by limiting physical activity and
Encouraging social isolation.
4. The costs of obesity through increased health costs and reduced
Effectiveness in the community are very high.
5. The body mass index or BMI is the best simple method for measuring
How obese someone is.
Obesity is shaping to be one of the greatest health challenges of the 21 st century. No disease is more common and causes more unnecessary illness or early death than obesity. Furthermore, there is no other single problem that so reduces the quality of life or increases the demand for healthcare services. The problem is world wide. In the USA, more than two of every three adults are overweight and about one in three is obese. That means that approximately 60 million people have the disease of obesity in the USA alone. More than one in five Australian adults, an estimated 2.6 million of a population of 20 million, are obese. For both countries, the incidence of obesity has doubled since the 1980. Alarmingly, obesity starts in childhood and already 7% of our teenagers are obese.
Around the world, all countries have a growing problem. There are now an estimated 300 million people around the world who are suffering form obesity and its consequences. In both developed and developing nations, a similar pattern is occurring. In Russia, 54% of adults are overweight. In
Brazil, the figure is 36%, and in Malaysia, 27%. Even China has a developing problem. A recent survey of adults in urban Shanghai reported that 29.5% were overweight and 4.3% were obese. After millions of years evolving a genetic structure to survive the life of the hunter/ gatherer, our health and our lives are now threatened by a lifestyle characterized by ready access to copious amounts of attractive
2. Obesity causes many diseases and markedly increases the risk of
Dying prematurely
3. Obesity also reduces quality of life by limiting physical activity and
Encouraging social isolation.
4. The costs of obesity through increased health costs and reduced
Effectiveness in the community are very high.
5. The body mass index or BMI is the best simple method for measuring
How obese someone is.
Obesity is shaping to be one of the greatest health challenges of the 21 st century. No disease is more common and causes more unnecessary illness or early death than obesity. Furthermore, there is no other single problem that so reduces the quality of life or increases the demand for healthcare services. The problem is world wide. In the USA, more than two of every three adults are overweight and about one in three is obese. That means that approximately 60 million people have the disease of obesity in the USA alone. More than one in five Australian adults, an estimated 2.6 million of a population of 20 million, are obese. For both countries, the incidence of obesity has doubled since the 1980. Alarmingly, obesity starts in childhood and already 7% of our teenagers are obese.
Around the world, all countries have a growing problem. There are now an estimated 300 million people around the world who are suffering form obesity and its consequences. In both developed and developing nations, a similar pattern is occurring. In Russia, 54% of adults are overweight. In
Brazil, the figure is 36%, and in Malaysia, 27%. Even China has a developing problem. A recent survey of adults in urban Shanghai reported that 29.5% were overweight and 4.3% were obese. After millions of years evolving a genetic structure to survive the life of the hunter/ gatherer, our health and our lives are now threatened by a lifestyle characterized by ready access to copious amounts of attractive