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Obesity & Weight Control
Obesity and carrying excess weight are increasingly common, which can lead to high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, and other health conditions. People struggling to lose weight might have to take multiple medications for medical problems related to the excess weight. Our doctors and nurse educators are committed to helping our patients lose weight, maintain weight loss, and gain better control of their health through the use of individualized treatment plans.
BMI Classification
As a result of being overweight or obese, nearly 100 million adults in America are at an increased risk of chronic disease. People are considered obese if they weigh at least 20 percent more than the maximum healthy weight for their height. About three in 10 people in the United States are obese, and the condition is becoming increasingly common.
The greatest indicator of obesity is a person's body mass index, or BMI. A person's BMI is a measure of body fat based on a calculation between height and weight. The following table shows how as BMI increases, health risk increases:
| BMI | Weight Status |
|---|---|
| 18.5 or less | Underweight |
| 18.5 to 24.99 | Normal Weight |
| 25 to 29.99 | Overweight |
| 30 to 34.99 | Obesity (Class 1) |
| 35 to 39.9 | Obesity (Class 2) |
| 40 or greater | Morbid Obesity |
Obesity Complications
Obesity can cause many health problems due to the strain it puts on organs and joints. It increases the risk of some widespread and potentially fatal disorders such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, coronary artery disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. It might also lead to psychological problems, such as depression. Here are some statistics from the American College of Physicians®:
- Increased Risk of Cancer: Twice as many women with a BMI greater than 29 had colon cancer as women with a BMI less than 21. A gain of more than 20 pounds, from age 18 to 40, doubles a woman's risk of postmenopausal breast cancer. The risk of endometrial cancer is three times higher among women with a BMI of 30 or higher, compared to women in the normal weight range.
- Increased Risk of Diabetes: Twenty-seven percent of new cases of diabetes are attributable to weight gain of 11 pounds or more in adulthood. The relative risk of diabetes increases by about 25 percent for each additional unit of BMI over 22.
- Osteoarthritis Risk: In a study of middle-aged women, every 2.2 pound increase in weight was associated with a 9.13 percent increase in the risk of developing osteoarthritis in the knees. A drop in BMI of two units or more during a 10-year period decreased the odds for developing knee osteoarthritis by more than 50 percent.