According to the World Health Organization, obesity constitutes the "greatest public health challenge" of the 21st century. In the United States, more than a third of the population is obese and at risk for very serious health complications. With no quick-fix solution available, the only option for reversing the trend of expanding waistlines is for the nation to embrace a more healthy lifestyle.
Definition
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adult obesity is defined as having a body mass index, or BMI, greater than 30. For children, obesity is defined as being in the 95th percentile or higher for weight compared to other children of the same age and gender. Body mass index is an estimate of percent body fat, although not a direct measurement.
Statistics
In the 1980s, only 15 percent of the American population met the definition of obese. Since then, the numbers have more than doubled and, as of 2008, 34 percent of the country met the criteria for obesity. A frightening 63.1 percent of the country's population is either overweight or obese, making more than half of U.S. citizens dangerously rotund. An even more troubling issue is the fact that 17 percent of children under the age of 18 are obese -- a problem which seems to follow obese children into adulthood.
Consequences
Obesity carries with it serious health risks including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, cancer, stroke and gynecological issues. Additionally, obesity is often associated with psychological and emotional problems such as low self-esteem and eating disorders. Obesity is also taking a tremendous toll on the nation's economy. In 1998, the U.S. government spent $78.5 billion on health care related to overweight and obesity issues.The cost of the obesity epidemic has only increased in the intervening 12 years.
Solutions
Try as they might, researchers have been unable to find any quick-fix for obesity. The only true solution is to eat less and exercise more -- a difficult task for the "fast food nation." To reverse the trend of expanding waistlines, educating children is the most important objective. This year, Michelle Obama began the "Let's Move" program to encourage children to get active and eat healthy. Many schools have implemented healthier school lunch programs and revamped their physical education classes with the hopes of reducing childhood obesity locally.
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