A stark epidemic in obesity among adults and children has paralleled the rise of the industrial revolution, followed by the digital revolution. A sedentary lifestyle and the consumption of non-nutritious fast foods is targeted as the cause not only of obesity, but also other chronic diseases. Knowing your body mass index is a good place to start making changes that can lower your risks of disease and help you lead a fuller life.
Worldwide Obesity Epidemic
Global obesity has reached "epidemic" proportions with more than 1 billion overweight adults, 300 million of them clinically obese, according to the World Health Organization, or WHO. Obesity rates have tripled since 1980 in some areas of North America, the United Kingdom, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Pacific Islands, Australasia and China.
The culprit in this health epidemic is generally identified as the combination of a shift in diet toward more calorie-rich but nutritionally-poor foods, with a decrease in physical activity. Modernization, globalization of food supplies,and economic growth are some of the causes of these changes, according to WHO.
Results of the obesity epidemic include increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and arthritis. About 22 million children younger than 5 years old worldwide are overweight. In the United States, the number of overweight children from 6 to 11 years of age has doubled since the 1960s, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. And the number of overweight American adolescents has tripled since 1980.
Checking Your Body Mass Index
One of the best tools available to measure overweight and obesity is the body mass index (BMI). To arrive at this number, multiply your weight in pounds by 705, figure your height in inches, and divide the weight number by twice your height in inches. A BMI below 18.5 is underweight; 18.5 to 24.9 normal; 25 to 29.9 overweight; and 30 or above is obese.
Another indicator of risk for chronic illness from obesity is excessive fat around the abdomen. A person may have a normal BMI but be at risk of serious illness because of fat deposits around the waist. The threshold for high abdominal fat is a waist circumference of more than 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men.
However, BMI alone does not tell the whole story. A football player, for example, might have a high BMI because of greater muscle mass and still be healthy. The American Council on Exercise says a fitness range of body fat for women is 21 to 24 percent; for men the fitness range is 14 to 17 percent.
A Balance of Diet and Exercise
General recommendations for decreasing body fat and increasing lean mass include eating a healthy, low-fat diet; getting regular aerobic exercise 20 to 30 minutes per day; and doing resistance training to build muscles.
The American Dietetic Association, or ADA, recommends that you eat three regular meals per day and plan those meals in advance. Your plate should be balanced with one-half filled with vegetables, one-fourth with lean meat, and one-fourth with grains.
The ADA also suggests that you try switching from a super-size dinner plate to a smaller one, and eat slowly so that your brain has time to detect a rise in blood sugar. This is important to a feeling of being satisfied, to avoid overeating. You should also plan to get lots of fiber from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans.
Work Out Balanced Diet
Don't forget the importance of calorie control in your diet. You can come up with an individualized dietary plan to reach your personal goals, control intake of calories and fats, and find a balanced overall eating plan by consulting with a registered dietitian, perhaps one recommended by your doctor. This approach can make it simpler and easier to achieve a realistic diet so you are not tempted to try one of the many highly promoted fad diets.
Reducing Risks
High blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer are some of the illnesses associated with an elevated BMI. Abnormally high BMI means greater risk of cancer of the breast, endometrium, colon, prostate, gallbladder and kidney. But by controlling your weight, you can significantly reduce those risks.
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