The World Health Organization (WHO) reported
– Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975.
– In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese.
– 39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight in 2016, and 13% were obese.
– Most of the world’s population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
– 41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2016.
– Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016.
– Obesity is preventable.
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What are obesity and overweight
Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.
Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters (kg/m2).
Adults
For adults, WHO defines overweight and obesity as follows:
overweight is a BMI greater than or equal to 25; and
obesity is a BMI greater than or equal to 30.
BMI provides the most useful population-level measure of overweight and obesity as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults. However, it should be considered a rough guide because it may not correspond to the same degree of fatness in different individuals.
I have written about obesity numerous times.
Here are some links to read further on obesity:
Obesity plus aging linked to Alzheimer’s
Sleep loss linked to late night snacking, junk food cravings, obesity, diabetes
Current trends point to half of U.S. children suffering from obesity as adults
Obesity is common, serious and costly – CDC
Latest update on U.S. nutrition, physical activity and obesity
Obesity rates around the world
A fresh look at obesity – Harvard
How does obesity cause disease in organs distant from where fat accumulates
Eating a big breakfast fights obesity and disease
Obesity may speed aging of the liver
High fat and high sugar snacks contribute to fatty liver and abdominal obesity
Study challenges concept of healthy obesity
Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger 