Childhood obesity facts

· Adult and childhood obesity have increased substantially in the last 30 years. Currently, 31% of adults and 18% of children are obese, as defined by their body mass index (BMI).

· The vast majority of obesity represents an imbalance in calories ingested versus calories expended. Other causes of obesity (metabolic, medicines, and other diseases) are very rare.

· Losing body fat requires both caloric restriction and daily vigorous exercise.

· The immediate and long-term consequences of obesity include physical, psychological, and economic issues.

· Obesity prevention will require both a personal and social/cultural change in lifestyle. A large volume of current research will help clarify what will be most helpful.

What is childhood obesity? How is childhood obesity diagnose

In order to systematically describe obesity, the concept of body mass index (BMI) was developed. BMI is the ratio between an individual's weight to height relative to their gender and age. BMI addresses the following question: Is the weight of the subject in excess of what is healthy for a given height? Generally (but not always), BMI correlates with the amount of body fat, but it is not a measurement of fat. An individual who has more than the average muscle mass for a given height (for example, weight lifters) will

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