The Incidence of Obesity in the U.S. is Higher Than You Think by Pamela A. Popper, Ph.D., N.D.
Body Mass Index, or BMI, is calculated from your height and weight. During recent years, it has been adopted as a reliable method for categorizing people as being normal weight, overweight, obese or morbidly obese. BMI is used not only in the U.S., but by most other countries and by the World Health Organization.
According to the Centers for Disease Control an individual with a BMI of:
- 18.5 or lower is underweight
- 18.5-24.9 is healthy weight
- 25.0-29.9 is overweight
- 30.0 or higher is obese
Based on these criteria, the CDC estimates that about 1/3 of the population is obese.1
However, there is some disagreement about these criteria, and several institutions and countries have determined that people with lower BMI should be categorized as obese, and that a larger percentage of the American population is obese than the CDC’s reports indicate.
For example, in India, a BMI of 25 qualifies an individual as obese.2, 3 Canada uses a BMI of 27 or greater to define obesity.4 And a study reported in the Journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists concluded that “Current BMI cutoff values recommended by the NIH failed to identify nearly half of reproductive-aged women who met criteria for obesity based on body fat.5 More stringent criteria for determining obesity is now being used by some health care practitioners; for example, the University of South Florida Department of Family Medicine states on its website that a BMI of 27 or greater qualifies an individual as being obese.6
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 68% of Americans have a BMI of 25 or higher.7 If the American population moved to India and the Indian criteria were applied, this would mean that 68% of Americans are obese. We don’t have data on how many Americans have a BMI of 27, the slightly more liberal criteria used in Canada, since American agencies use the ranges reflected in the above chart. We therefore used a very conservative number to express the obesity rate in the U.S. (40%). It is definitely higher than 33%; most likely significantly higher.
1 Ogden C, Carroll M, “Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity.” CDC June 2010
2 http://www.igovernment.in/site/India-reworks-obesity-guidelines-BMI-lowered/
3 http://www.weight-loss-india.com/Obesity
4 Trakas, K, Lauwrence K, Shear N. “Utilization of health care resources by obese Canadians.” CMAJ 1999;160:1457-62
5 Rahman, M, Berenson A. “Accuracy of BMI Obesity Classification.” Obstetrics and Gynecology vol 115 no 5, May 2010
6 http://hsc.usf.edu/family/health_education_projects/obesity-mcross.htm
7 Ogden C, Carroll, M “Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity.” CDC June 2010
Audrey’s Notes: 1) If you need help determining your BMI, get in touch, I can help you figure it out. 2) If your BMI (or that of someone who you love) is more than 27 and you want to lower it, I can help you. We’ll work out together, and I can teach you how to adapt a low-fat plant-based diet.