Obesity Overview

Obesity is defined as an excess of body fat that results in the impairment of health and the impairment of body function.

According to the 2005 Yankelovich Preventative Healthcare Study, almost 75 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Only about one-third of Americans are actively attempting to correct personal overweight conditions. Obese Americans are concerned about losing weight to feel more healthy (84%) and to avoid ill-health (74%), while normal weight individuals are more likely to cite staying slim (64%) and looking more attractive (57%) as primary motivators.

One target group, married women with children, tends to be stymied first and foremost by time management concerns, such as finding time to cook for themselves when they typically cook for others (25%), not having the time to exercise (19%) and not having time to plan and shop for a diet (17%)

According to the 2005 Yankelovich Preventative Healthcare Study, there exists two main barriers to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight: motivation and education.

Major motivation barriers include:

    --  Dislike of exercise - 22%
    --  Enjoying junk food too much - 21%
    --  Lack of will power to stick to a plan - 15%

Major educational barriers include:

    --  Inability to afford a successful weight loss program - 20%
    --  Insurance not covering weight-loss programs - 19%
    --  Inability to figure out the best way to lose weight - 14%

Obesity causes the following clinical and physiological problems:

Clinical Problems
Heart disease
Hypertension
Certain types of cancer
Type 2 diabetes
Stroke
Arthritis
Breathing problems
Sleep apnea
Psychological disorders, such as depression

Physiological Problems
Decreased insulin sensitivity
Increased fasting insulin
Increased insulin response to glucose

Decreased growth hormone
Decreased growth hormone response to insulin stimulation

Increased adrenocortical hormones

Increased cholesterol synthesis and excretion

Decreased hormone-sensitive lipase

Cause of Obesity
The major cause of obesity is too many calories in the diet and too little calories in daily activity and exercise, which is complicated by the timing and type of food consumption and the timing and intensity of activity. In other words, weight control is not simply the balance of caloric intake and expenditure, but involves the timing and type of intake and expenditure that best controls the physiology and metabolism related to fat storage, fat release and carbohydrate storage and carbohydrate energy expenditure and protein acquisition for body structure. The pro or con of this balance and timing of caloric intake and expenditure may positively or negatively affect insulin function, which may be crucial to weight and body composition control..

Endocrine and genetic problems can also cause obesity, but these causes are not involved in the majority of the population.

Quantitative and Qualitative Descriptions
While some people have body self-image distortions, most people can honestly look in the mirror or consider the fit of their clothes to understand if they are overweight or obese. Nevertheless, for more objective scientific purposes, medical purposes and educational purposes, overweight and obesity are defined quantitatively and qualitatively.

Quantitative
Height/Weight Tables
Tables are used most often as an insurance guideline, but are not particularly helpful to people concerned with weight control. Several innaccuracies are possible with the estimation of clothing and shoe weights, and with the estimation of frame size. You’re considered overweight or perhaps obese if you are well above the table guidelines.

1999 METROPOLITAN HEIGHT AND WEIGHT TABLES FOR
MEN AND WOMEN
According to Frame, Ages 25-59
WOMEN
Weight in Pounds (In Indoor Clothing)* Height in Feet and Inches

HEIGHT		SMALL	MEDIUM	LARGE
(In Shoes)		FRAME	FRAME	FRAME
4′	10″	102-111	109-121	118-131
4′	11″	103-113	111-123	120-134
5′	0″	104-115	113-126	122-137
5′	1″	106-118	115-129	125-140
5′	2″	108-121	118-132	128-143
5′	3″	111-124	121-135	131-147
5′	4″	114-127	124-138	134-151
5′	5″	117-130	127-141	137-155
5′	6″	120-133	130-144	140-159
5′	7″	123-136	133-147	143-163
5′	8″	126-139	136-150	146-167
5′	9″	129-142	139-153	149-170
5′	10″	132-145	142-156	152-173
5′	11″	135-148	145-159	155-176
6′	0″	138-151	148-162	158-179

* Indoor clothing weighing 5 pounds for men and 3 pounds for women. Shoes with 1-inch heels

1999 METROPOLITAN HEIGHT AND WEIGHT TABLES FOR
MEN AND WOMEN
According to Frame, Ages 25-59
MEN
Weight in Pounds (In Indoor Clothing)* Height in Feet and Inches

HEIGHT		SMALL	MEDIUM	LARGE
(In Shoes)+		FRAME	FRAME	FRAME
5	‘2″	128-134	131-141	138-150
5′	3″	130-136	133-143	140-153
5′	4″	132-138	135-145	142-156
5	‘5″	134-140	137-148	144-160
5′	6″	136-142	139-151	146-164
5′	7″	138-145	142-154	149-168
5′	8″	140-148	145-157	152-172
5′	9″	142-151	148-160	155-176
5′	10″	144-154	151-163	158-180
5	’11”	146-157	154-166	161-184
6′	0″	149-160	157-170	164-188
6	‘1″	152-164	160-174	168-192
6′	2″	155-168	164-178	172-197
6′	3″	158-172	167-182	176-202
6′	4″	162-176	171-187	181-2

* Indoor clothing weighing 5 pounds for men and 3 pounds for women. Shoes with 1-inch heels

Source of basic data Build Study, 1979. Society of Actuaries and Association of Life Insurance Medical Directors of America, 1980.Copyright