| HEALTH STATUS - Protective and Risk Factors |
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Obesity is rising in the U.S. An expert panel convened by the National Institutes of Health defines obesity as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater, a measure which takes both height and weight into account. Using this measure, over one-fifth of the U.S. population aged 20 years and older was obese in 2000. The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults increased from 19.4 percent in 1997 to 21.8 percent in 2000, a 12 percent increase.
Among U.S. adult females in 2000, the prevalence of obesity was highest among those aged 40-59, one quarter of whom were obese, followed by women 60 years and older, with women aged 20-39 the age group least likely to report being obese. These age differentials were also consistent for both sexes. Over a quarter of women and men aged 40-59 were estimated to be obese in 2000, compared to 20.6 percent of persons aged 60 and older and 19.1 percent of persons 20-39 years old. However, while males and females had roughly the same likelihood of being obese in the 20-39 and 40-59 age groups, a greater proportion of women aged 60 and older were obese.
The disproportionate prevalence of obesity among minorities has also been a significant challenge for women's health in the U.S. In 2000, the National Health Interview Survey showed the highest prevalence of obesity in Black women at a rate of 35.8 percent; Black women were nearly twice as likely as White women to be obese. One quarter of Hispanic women were obese. In all populations, obesity is linked to chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
