Overweight and Obesity

Minority Women's Health > American Indians/Alaska Natives > Health Topics > Overweight and Obesity

American Indian/Alaska Native women are more likely than white women to be obese. In fact, over half of American Indian/Alaska Native women are overweight. One reason is that diets tend to be higher in fat and calories than they used to be, and physical activity has decreased.

Use the
Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator to calculate your BMI.

Being overweight or obese increases your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), osteoarthritis, and some cancers. Obesity is measured with a body mass index (BMI). BMI shows the relationship of weight to height. Women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight, while women with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. All adults (aged 18 years or older) who have a BMI of 25 or more are considered at risk for early death and disability from being overweight or obese. These health risks increase as the BMI rises.

Where your body stores extra weight is also important. For most women, carrying extra weight around their waists or middle (with a waist larger than 35 inches) raises health risks more than carrying extra weight around their hips or thighs. These health risks include heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can lower your risk for many diseases. And exercise is a key part of weight loss. Try to be active (30 minutes most days of the week is best) and eat better to help prevent and treat obesity.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, published jointly by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, can help you reach your goals. These guidelines offer advice on choosing healthy foods, keeping a healthy weight, and getting enough exercise.

Publications

American Indian and Alaska Native People: Treat Your Heart To A Healthy Celebration! - Proper nutrition is your way to a healthy heart. This document provides insight on eating the right kinds of foods to improve and maintain your health. It offers a list of foods, as well as ways for preparing them, to ensure healthy eating. Lean cut beef, fish, corn, and rice are all tasty examples of a healthy diet.
http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/FactSheets/treat.htm
American Indian and Alaska Native Women's Health - This site provides information for Indian health service providers and consumers about American Indian and Alaska Native women's health. It discusses access to care, violence against Native women, cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues.
http://www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/MCH/W/index.cfm
American Indian Health - This web site is an information portal for and about the health of native peoples of the United States.
http://americanindianhealth.nlm.nih.gov/
Do You Know the Health Risks of Being Overweight? - The more overweight you are, the more likely you are to have health problems. Weight loss can help improve the harmful effects of being overweight. This fact sheet explains how to verify if you might be overweight, how extra body weight can add to health risks, and how to safely lose weight.
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/health_risks.htm
Fit and Fabulous as You Mature - This easy-to-read publication explains why obesity is a health problem for aging Americans. It discusses the benefits of physical activity and the health risks of poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. It also gives tips for how to become more active and eat better.
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/mature.htm
Frequently Asked Questions - A Healthy Diet - This publication provides information on how women can maintain a healthy diet throughout their lives. It explains what a healthy portion is and how a healthy diet can help to reduce the risk of heart disease.
http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/diet.htm
Native American Food Pyramid - The Native American Food Pyramid is adapted from the USDA food pyramid. It is designed to guide Native Americans in their daily food choices by including both Native American traditional foods as well as American foods.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/NAmFGP.html
Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals - This colorful book provides information to assist families in purchasing and preparing healthy, thrifty meals that meet the recommendations in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. The book contains two sample meal plans (consisting of two weekly menus, 40 recipes, and two food lists), tips for shopping, healthy cooking, and keeping food safe.
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/food/rec-thrifty/recipes.htm
Weight Loss For Life - This publication contains information about diet and the various types of weight-loss programs to help individuals decide what's best for their needs.
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/for_life.htm
How Can I Manage My Weight? (Copyright © AHA) - This fact sheet provides information to help those who want to learn how to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Included in this publication is a chart to keep track of weight and to set personal weight loss goals.
http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/110167860217928%20ManageMyWeight....
Just Move It: It's Up to You (Copyright © Just Move It) - This web site is part of the national Just Move It campaign to promote physical activity for Native Americans and Alaska Natives. The site provides information on events and programs and offers tips for encouraging physical activity in your community.
http://www.justmoveit.org

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

Current as of December 2007