The World Health Organization (WHO) projected that by 2015, approximately 2.3 billion adults would be overweight and more than 700 million obese. We’re two years past that projection – and the obesity epidemic is continuing. Once considered a problem only in high-income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings.
Here are the startling facts that should set you on the path to slimming down:
- Overweight and obesity are classified by an individual’s body mass index (BMI). BMI is measured by dividing a person’s weight by his or her height squared in metres.
- In adults, overweight is defined as a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 kg/m2; obesity is defined as a BMI of 30.0 kg/m2 or greater.
- Obesity is an independent risk factor for CVD.
- An overweight person may develop hypertension, type-2 diabetes and musculoskeletal disorder, putting them at high risk of CVD.
- Increased body weight leads to increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes and incidence of hypertension rises.
- Excess fat can affect an individual’s blood pressure and blood lipid levels and interferes with his or her ability to use insulin effectively.
For more information, check out the World Heart Federation website.
source: World Heart Federation