Overweight and Obesity

Obesity is having a high amount of extra bodyfat. The most useful measure of overweight and obesity is the body mass index (BMI). BMI is based on height and weight and is used for adults, children, and teens.

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How Can Overweight and Obesity Be Prevented?

Staying at a healthy weight and preventing overweight and obesity can be achieved through living a healthy lifestyle. Because lifetime habits begin in childhood, it’s important for parents and families to create habits that encourage healthy food choices and physical activity early in life.

Follow a healthy eating plan. Make healthful food choices, keep your and your family’s calorie needs in mind, and focus on the balance of energy IN and energy OUT.

Focus on portion size. Watch the size of portions in fast food and other restaurants. The portions served are often enough for two or three people. Children’s portion sizes should be smaller than those for adults. Cutting back on portion size is a sure way to help keep energy IN and energy OUT in balance.

Be active. Make personal and family time active. Find activities that everyone will enjoy. For example, go for a brisk walk, bike or rollerblade, or train together for a walk or run.

Reduce screen time. Limit the use of TVs, computers, DVDs, and video games, because they crowd out time for physical activity. Health experts recommend 2 hours or less a day of screen time that’s not work- or homework-related.

Keep track of weight and other measurements. Monitor your weight, body mass index, and waist circumference on a regular basis. Also, keep track of your children’s growth.

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will"

Key Points

The terms “overweight” and “obesity” refer to a person’s overall body weight and where the extra weight comes from. Overweight is having extra body weight from muscle, bone, fat, and/or water. Obesity is having a high amount of extra body fat.

Millions of Americans and people worldwide are overweight or obese.

Being overweight or obese puts you at risk for many diseases and conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, breathing problems, and certain cancers.

A person’s weight is the result of many factors, including environment, family history and genetics, metabolism (the way your body changes food and oxygen into energy), behavior or habits, and other factors.

For most people, overweight and obesity are caused by not having energy balance. The amount of calories you get from food and drinks is energy IN. The amount of energy your body uses daily is energy OUT. To maintain a healthy weight, energy IN and energy OUT should balance over time.

Overweight and obesity are calculated using the body mass index (BMI). BMI is an estimate of body fat and a good gauge of your risk for diseases that occur with more body fat.

Children’s BMI is calculated based on growth charts for their age and sex. This is called BMI-for-age percentile.

Treatment for overweight and obesity includes lifestyle changes. These changes mean cutting back on calories, following a healthy eating plan, being physically active, and making behavioral changes.
When lifestyle changes aren’t enough, other treatment options for some people are weight loss medicines and surgery.

To manage weight and prevent unhealthy weight gain, adults should aim for 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity most days of the week. To keep up weight loss, aim for 60 to 90 minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity.

Children and teens should strive for 60 minutes of physical activity a day.

Overweight and obesity in children and teens can be prevented with healthy food choices and more physical activity. Parents and families should create habits that encourage healthful food choices and physical activity early in a child’s life