If you think the sky is falling when it comes to the health of the American people, I have some disquieting news to make you even more anxious. New statistics from the U.S. Government show that the number of people who are overweight has been surpassed by the number of people who are obese.
Obesity and overweight are calculated using the BMI (Body Mass Index) formula. Someone with a BMI of 25 to 29 is classified as overweight, while 30 to 40 counts as obese. Anything over a 40 is morbidly obese.
You can calculate your BMI by dividing your weight in pounds by height in inches squared, and then multiplying by a conversion factor of 703.
Numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics show that more than 34 percent of Americans are obese, compared to 32.7 percent who are overweight. It said just under 6 percent are “extremely” obese.
“Although the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled since 1980, the prevalence of overweight has remained stable over the same time period,” said the NCHS report.