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Fast Facts: Obesity
The Details
Body Mass Index (BMI):
- A simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in adults.
- Calculated by: weight in kilograms/ (square of height in meters)
- BMI scale:
18.5-24.9 Normal/Healthy
25-29.9 Overweight
30+ Obese
40+ Severely Obese
By the Numbers:
- 1.9 billion adults worldwide are overweight (WHO)
- 650 million of these are obese (WHO)
- In the US, nearly one in three (30.7%) are overweight (CDC)
- Nearly two in five (42.5%) are obese (CDC)
- Medical costs for obesity are almost $150 billion per year in the US
Complications of Diabetes Include:
- Hypertension
- Dyslipidemia
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Osteoarthritis
- Breathing problems
- Many types of cancer
- Mental illness
- Chronic pain
- Death
How Obesity Affects the Nerves:
- High blood pressure, BMI and fat around the waist are all linked to cognitive decline
- Where fat collects is more important than overall obesity—for example, fat concentrated around the waist is linked to neuropathy & cognitive decline