Feet standing on a bathroom scale Obesity is an excess of body fat, and is one of the most common health problems in the United States. About one-fourth of all American adults are considered to be obese.
Obesity is measured using a scale called a body mass index, or BMI. A BMI greater than 30 is classified as obese. Obesity doesn't affect only adults. Approximately 4.7 million (about 11 percent) of American children aged 6 to 17 are obese, a percentage that has doubled since the 1960s. Obesity can shorten your life and put you at risk of developing a number of conditions, such as
high blood pressure,
diabetes,
heart disease and some forms of
cancer.
The above information thankfully comes from the hms.harvard.edu at the following
link.
