Healthy America: Wellness Where We Live, Work And Learn. Call To Action: An Agenda For America'S Governors

Healthy America:

Wellness Where We Live,

Work and Learn

Call to Action:

An Agenda for

America's Governors

Healthy America:WellnessWhere We Live,Work and Learn

Call to Action: An Agenda for America's Governors

Across the nation, the health of Americans is at serious risk due to unhealthy lifestyles, physical inactivity, and poor

nutrition.We live in a culture where people are not physically active on a regular basis and increasingly spend time

sitting in front of a TV or computer screen.i,ii Obesity is one of the nation's fastest-rising health problems--increasing

74 percent between 1991 and 2001, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC).iii About 129 million adults in the United States are overweight; of these more than 60 million are obese and

9 million are severely obese.The number of overweight children between the ages of 6 and 19 has tripled since 1980,

and 9 million kids over the age of 6 are currently obese.iv,v

This problem is a threat to every age group, every ethnic group, and every state--and some groups are disproportionately

affected. One of the nation's health goals for 2010 is to reduce the prevalence of obesity among adults to

less than 15 percent, but current data suggests that the situation is worsening rather than improving.vi

If left unaddressed, this crisis threatens to overwhelm a health care system in which Americans already pay more than

people in other Western nations.vii It jeopardizes not only our health, but also our ability as a nation to be economically

competitive with other countries.

Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC.

1991 1996

Obesity Trends* Among U.S. Adults

BRFSS, 1991, 1996, 2004

(*BMI ≥30, or about 30 lbs overweight for 5ʼ4 " person)

No Data 10% 10% - 14% 15% - 19% 20% - 24% ≥25%

2004

Acknowledgement: This Call to Action was written by Damon Thompson, Vice President,

Lipman Hearne Inc.,Washington D.C. and supported by resources from the RobertWood

Johnson Foundation. 2

Defining Overweight and Obesity

As we age, being overweight or obese is likely to be risky for our health. Although the evidence remains controversial,

there are clear indications that this is true. In addition, excess weight can serve as an indicator of poor health

habits that are known to cause or worsen chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.viii

Overweight and obesity are terms that refer to weight that is greater than what is generally considered normal for

a given height.ix More specifically, overweight is an excess of body weight--not necessarily fat; obesity refers to an

abnormally high percentage of body fat.x

There is an array of methods used for assessing an individual's or a population's weight, but the most commonly

used method is the Body Mass Index (BMI). For adults, BMI is calculated by dividing a person's body weight in pounds

by height in inches squared, and then multiplying the result by 703. Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 or more,

obesity is 30 or more, and severe obesity is 40 or more. Although BMI is not without its flaws, it is a useful tool for

identifying people who should seek a more thorough assessment of their health from their doctors.

The terminology for adults and children differ. Children and teens that exceed the normal weight recommendations are

considered "at risk for becoming overweight,"or "overweight."Due to variations in patterns of growth and development,

typically they are considered severely overweight.

A number of factors influence individual body weight, including genetics, metabolism, behavior, environment, cultural

norms, and socioeconomics. But for most people, excess body weight results from taking in more calories than they

expend.Weight gain is the result of an energy equation in which energy in--in the form of calories consumed--is

greater than energy out--in the form of calories burned through activity.

3

65%

30%

Percent of adults age 20 and over

who are overweight or obese

Percent of adults age 20

and over who are obese

Percent of children

ages 6 to 19 who are

overweight xi

The Toll on America's Health

The concerns of overweight and obese generations are a matter of health, not mere physical aesthetics. Chronic

illnesses account for two-thirds of the deaths in this country, and obesity is associated with at least 112,000

deaths a year from chronic conditions including diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and cancer.xii

Obesity increases a person's risk of death (from all health causes) by 22

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