Fast Facts: Obesity

NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies obesity infographic

The Details

  • 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
  • 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
  • Hypertension
  • Dyslipidemia
  • Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Breathing problems
  • Many types of cancer
  • Mental illness
  • Chronic pain
  • Death
  • 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