Obesity
More than 60 percent of Americans are overweight and about 30 percent are obese. Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.
Health care providers routinely screen patients of all ages for weight problems. A serious weight problem contributes to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and more. Because Americans tend to gain weight as they age, being overweight is even more common in middle and older age. The problem is also serious among American children: 30 percent are estimated to be overweight and 15 percent are already obese.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that health care providers screen all adult patients for obesity, and the American Academy of Family Physicians agrees. Measuring your body mass index helps identify if you are at greater risk for a wide variety of serious health problems. The American College of Preventive Medicine advises this:
All adults should have their body mass index calculated periodically by their health care provider.
All adults, no matter what their weight or body mass measurement, should be consistently counseled about healthful dietary and physical activity.
A helpful and easy-to-use calculator on adult body mass is available at the web site of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi.
Sources
American Association of Family Physicians. Summary of policy recommendations for periodic health examinations. 2003 Aug. Brief summary from the National Guideline Clearinghouse available on the Internet at http://www.guidelines.gov. Accessed July 19, 2004.
American Obesity Association. Obesity in Youth (fact sheet). Available on the Internet at http://www.obesity.org/subs/fastfacts/obesity_US.shtml. Accessed July 23, 2004.
Iannelli V. BMI calculator. Keep Kids Healthy, LLC. Available on the Internet at http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/bmicalculator.html. Accessed August 10, 2004.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services. Calculate your body mass index. Available on the Internet at http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi. Accessed July 23, 2004.
Nawaz H and Katz KL. weight management counseling of overweight adults: American College of Preventive Medicine practice policy statement. Am J Prev Med. 2001 Jul;21(1):73-78. Available on the Internet from the National Guideline Clearinghouse at http://www.guidelines.gov. Accessed July 19, 2004.
United States Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for obesity in adults: recommendation and rationale. Ann Intern Med. 2003 Dec 2;139(11):930-932.Available on the Internet from the National Guideline Clearinghouse http://www.guidelines.gov. Accessed July 19, 2004.
Weise E. Medicare redefines obesity as medical. USA Today. 2004 Jul 15 (updated July 16, 2004). Available on the Internet at http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/20004-07-15-medicare-obesity-x.htm. Accessed July 19, 2004.
