271023 Myths about obesity
With myths about obesity and nutrition constantly going around, it’s important to address them and provide people with the facts to avoid spreading untruthful information.
My thanks to the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) educators for the following important information.
Obesity is a serious and rising health epidemic in our country. You are not alone in this fight. It is estimated that nearly 93 million Americans are affected by obesity and that number is predicted to climb to 120 million within the next five years.
Obesity Statistics
EDUCATION AND SUPPORT
Obesity is a rising epidemic in our country. Below you will find useful facts and figures, along with statistics, discussing obesity and its impact on the United States.[1]
Obesity
- In the United States, it is estimated that 93 million Americans are affected by obesity.
- Individuals affected by obesity are at a higher risk for impaired mobility and experience a negative social stigma commonly associated with obesity.
- Socioeconomic status plays a significant role in obesity. Low-income minority populations tend to experience obesity at higher rate and are more likely to be overweight.
- In 2001, the states with the top five percentages for obesity were Mississippi, West Virginia, Michigan, Kentucky and Indiana.
- Almost 112,000 annual deaths are attributable to obesity.
- In the United States, 40 percent of adults do not participate in any leisure-time physical activity.
Severe Obesity
- Being affected by excess weight, obesity or severe obesity significantly increases the risk of developing many other diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis and much more.
- Severe obesity is characterized by an individual weighing more than 100 pounds over their ideal body weight, or having a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher.
- Behavior, genetics and environment are all contributing factors of severe obesity.
- In 2002, 25 percent of individuals affected by severe obesity were being treated for six or more obesity-related conditions.
Childhood Obesity
- More than 9 million adolescents (children and teens 6 to 19 years old) are affected by excess weight.
- Children who are affected by obesity are 70 percent more likely to continue being affected by it into adulthood.
- Children affected by childhood obesity at a young age are predisposed to obesity and severe obesity in adulthood.
- Environmental factors, such as a lack of physical activity and technological advances have led to a more sedentary lifestyle.
- Today, children affected by obesity are much more likely to develop type 2 diabetes more than ever.
- African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians have been experiencing the highest rates of increase in childhood obesity. On average, 25 percent of children in these ethnic groups are affected by obesity.
- The most occurring sign of discrimination among children affected by obesity is social and societal acceptance. This negative discrimination can lead to poor self-esteem and depression.
- More than 40 percent of children watch 2 or more hours of television each day.
Cost and Health Insurance
- The cost of obesity in the United States in 2000 was more than $117 billion.
- In 2002, medical costs attributed to overweight and obesity reached an incredible $92.6 billion.
- Many insurance companies do not cover clinical or non-clinical weight-loss programs.
- Treating an individual affected by obesity cost $1,244 more in 2002 than treating a healthy-weight person did.
- In 2003, Americans spent about $75 billion in weight-related medical bills.
Related Conditions[2]
Obesity is a major health crisis in our country. There are several obesity-related health conditions that are associated with obesity. These conditions often lead to a decreased quality of health and life of those affected. Below you will find a list of obesity-related conditions. It is important to talk with your doctor about these conditions.
Cancer
Cancer involves the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that have mutated from normal tissues. These cells prevent normal function of vital organs, damaging essential systems. Recent studies suggest that those with a BMI more than 40 (severe obesity) had death rates from cancer that were 52 percent higher for men and 62 percent higher for women, as compared to rates for normal-weight men and women. In both men and women, higher BMI is associated with higher death rates from cancers of the esophagus, colon and rectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and kidney. The same trend applies to cancers of the stomach and prostate in men, and cancers of the breast, uterus, cervix, and ovaries in women.Almost half of post-menopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer have a BMI greater than 29. One study indicates (the Nurses’ Health Study) women who gain more than 20 pounds from age 18 to midlife double their risk of breast cancer, compared to women whose weight remained stable.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. It can be caused by too little insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar), resistance to insulin, or both. Among those diagnosed with type 2 (non insulin-dependent) diabetes, 67 percent have a BMI greater than 27 and 46 percent have a BMI greater than 30. Nearly 17 million people in the U.S. have type 2 diabetes, accounting for more than 90 percent of diabetes cases. An additional 20 million have impaired glucose tolerance, sometimes called pre-diabetes, which is a strong risk factor for developing diabetes later in life. An estimated 70 percent of diabetes risk in the U.S. can be attributed to excess weight.
Gallbladder Disease
Gallbladder disease includes inflammation, infection, stones, or obstruction of the gallbladder.
Heartburn
Heartburn is a painful burning sensation in the esophagus, just below the breastbone. The pain often rises in your chest and may radiate to your neck or throat.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is any disorder that affects the heart’s ability to function normally. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart.
High Cholesterol
Lipid disorders are when you have excess fatty substances in your blood. These substances include cholesterol and triglycerides. Having a lipid disorder makes you more likely to develop arteriosclerosis and heart disease.The prevalence of high blood cholesterol (greater than 240 mg/dL) in overweight U.S. adults is 19.1 percent for men with a BMI greater than 25 and less than 27; 21.6 percent for men with a BMI greater than 27 and less than 30; 30.5 percent for women with a BMI greater than 25 and less than 27; and 29.6 percent for women with a BMI greater than 27 and less than 30.
High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when your blood pressure frequently goes over 140/90 mm Hg.About 1 in every 5 adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure. High blood pressure occurs more often in men than in women. In addition, African Americans are affected almost twice as much as Caucasians. The prevalence of hypertension in overweight U.S. adults is 22.1 percent for men with a BMI greater than 25 and less than 27; 27.0 percent for men with a BMI greater than 27 and less than 30; 27.7 percent for women with a BMI greater than 25 and less than 27; and 32.7 percent for women with a BMI greater than 27 and less than 30.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease causing deterioration of the joint cartilage (the softer parts of bones which cushion their connections to each other) and the formation of new bone (bone spurs) at the margins of the joints.
Psychological Depression
Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended time.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by episodes of stopped breathing during sleep.
Stroke
A stroke occurs when a blood vessel (artery) that supplies blood to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot. Within minutes, the nerve cells in that area of the brain are damaged, and they may die within a few hours. As a result, the part of the body controlled by the damaged section of the brain cannot function properly.
[1] https://www.obesityaction.org/education-support/learn-about-obesity/obesity-statistics/
[2] https://www.obesityaction.org/education-support/learn-about-obesity/related-conditions/
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