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When the federal government issued its first clinical
guidelines on obesity in late June, the weight-loss industry must have
celebrated. Overnight, thousands of us joined the ranks of the overweight. The
guidelines which were crafted by a panel of 24 experts under the auspices of
the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute concluded that overweight
increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, lipid disorders,
Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, osteoarthritis, and other chronic conditions.
The new guidelines state that people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9
are overweight and those with a BMI of 30 and above are obese. (The previous
definition of overweight was a BMI of 27.) Under the new guidelines, 97 million
or 55% of American adults are now considered overweight. Although some
researchers do not consider BMI a valid indication of obesity, especially for
very muscular or exceptionally tall people, it has become a standard in health
risk studies and widely accepted in the medical field. Another exception are
people over 65. In many of the studies the expert panel reviewed, risk of death
did not increase until BMI reached 30 in older people.
In addition to BMI, health professionals are being urged
to take their patient’s waist measurement because of mounting evidence
that excess visceral fat, the padding that cushions abdominal organs, increases
the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Visceral fat appears to play a larger
role in the disease process than sub-cutaneous fat – commonly referred to
as “love handles”. The theory is that abdominal fat cells produce
certain compounds that may influence cholesterol and glucose metabolism. Waist
size isn’t a factor in people with a BMI of less than 25, but a
measurement over 40 inches in men and 35 in women is a risk marker for those
with a BMI of 25 to 34.9. The guidelines state that all people with a BMI over
30 need to lose weight but caution that if weight loss drugs are used, they
should not be taken for more than a year because there are no safety tests for
extended use. People with a BMI of 25 to 29 who have high blood pressure, high
total cholesterol, or elevated blood sugar, should strive to lose weight
because numerous studies have shown these conditions can be reversed by weight
loss.
The expert panel did not offer any new weight loss
strategies beyond eat less concentrating on fruits and vegetables, increase
dietary fiber, and exercise on a regular basis.
- Number of extra calories a person must eat to gain a
pound or burn to lose a pound: 3,500
- Annual number of deaths attributable to poor diet and
inactivity: 300,000
- Amount of money spent by Americans last year on weight
loss foods, products and programs: $33 billion
- Percentage of cardiovascular disease cases related to
obesity: Nearly 70%
- Effect of obesity on high blood pressure: More than
doubles the risk of developing high blood pressure
National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases |
