The Epidemiology of Obesity

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Definitions for overweight and obesity

The techniques that measure body composition include densitometry, single-cut imaging of the abdomen using computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, but these methods are used mostly for research purposes. Body mass index (BMI), which is calculated as the weight in kilograms divided by the height in meters squared (kg/m2), is the most widely used measure of obesity because of its low cost and simplicity. The World Health

Obesity Trends in Adults in the United States

A few important sources of epidemiologic data on obesity in the United States are discussed in this article.

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a state-based cross-sectional random telephone survey of the population of United States of age greater than or equal to 18 years. At the time of the survey, BMI was calculated from self-reported weight and height.3 The 2008 BRFSS data showed considerable differences in the prevalence of obesity across states. Five states (Alabama,

Possible causes of the obesity epidemic

Obesity is caused by a complex interaction of the environment, the genetic predisposition, and human behavior.

Environmental factors are likely to be major contributors to the obesity epidemic. It is certain that obesity develops when there is a positive imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, but the relative contribution of these factors is poorly understood. Evidence supports the contribution of excess energy intake and decreased energy expenditure in the obesity epidemic.11,

Burden of illness associated with obesity

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of death. Adams and colleagues23 estimated the risk of death in a prospective cohort of more than 500,000 men and women from the United States after 10 years of follow-up, and reported that among patients who had never smoked, the risk of death is increased by 20% to 40% in overweight patients and by two- to threefold in obese compared with normal-weight patients.

Obesity is also associated with increased risk for numerous chronic diseases, including

Summary and conclusions

The prevalence of obesity in the United States has increased dramatically since 1980 in both adults and children. However, there is evidence of a possible recent stabilization from data that compares obesity in the 2003 to 2004 period with that in the 2005 to 2006 period for children and adults in the United States The epidemic of obesity is not limited to the United States but has been documented in several regions worldwide, with the prevalence of obesity rising in most countries. Obesity is

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  • Cited by (0)

    This research was partially supported by the grant R01 titled “Obesity, H pylori, and risk of Barrett esophagus,” and the grant K24 titled “Epidemiology and outcomes of digestive and liver diseases.” It was also partly supported by the Houston VA HSR&D Center of Excellence (HFP90-020).

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