During the past 20 years, obesity among adults has risen significantly in the United States. The latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that 30 percent of US adults 20 years of age and older — over 60 million people — are obese. This increase is not limited to adults. The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and teens aged 6 to 19 years, 16 percent (over 9 million young people) are considered overweight. These increasing rates raise concern because of their implications for Americans’ health. 

Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including hypertension, high blood pressure, diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, etc.

      For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the “body mass index” (BMI), which is equal to one’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of one’s height in meters as formularized by   the following:

BMI=Weight in Kilograms / (Height in Meters × Height in Meters)

BMI=Weight in Kilograms / (Height in centimeters × Height in centimeters) × 10,000