Obesity Statistics
These statistics define "overweight" as a BMI value or 27.3 percent or more for women and 27.8 percent or more for men. BMI refers to body mass index, which is found by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by height in meters squared (BMI=kg/m2).

Total number of overweight adults : Approximately 58 million Americans, or about one-third

Overweight adult females : 32 million, as of 1990 Overweight adult males 26 million, as of 1990

Total number of overweight youths : Approximately 4.7 million, or 11 percent

Annual number of deaths : Attributable to poor diet and inactivity: 300,000

Percentage of adult American women trying to lose weight : Aat any given time: 35-40 percent

Percentage of adult American men trying to lose weight : At any given time: 20-24 percent

Number of extra calories a person must eat : To gain a pound or burn to lose a pound: 3,500

Amount of money spent by Americans annually : On weight-reduction products and services, including diet foods, products and programs: $33 billion

Percentage of cardiovascular disease cases related to obesity : Nearly 70 percent

Effect of obesity on high blood pressure : More than doubles one's chances of developing high blood pressure

Obesity is a known risk factor for chronic diseases including :
Heart disease
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Stroke some forms of cancer

Annual number of deaths : Attributable to poor diet and inactivity: 300,000

Warning signs : High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels or high blood sugar levels are all warning signs of some obesity-associated diseases.

Family history of heart disease, diabetes: People with close relatives who have had heart disease or diabetes are more likely to develop these problems if they are obese.

Noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: Nearly 80 percent of patients with noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus are obese.

Gallbladder disease: The incidence of symptomatic gallstones soars as a person's body mass index (BMI) goes beyond 29. The BMI is found by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared.

Heart disease: Nearly 70 percent of diagnosed cases of cardiovascular disease are related to obesity.

High blood pressure: Obesity more than doubles one's chances of developing high blood pressure.

Breast and colon cancer: Almost half of breast cancer cases are diagnosed among obese women; an estimated 42 percent of colon cancer cases are diagnosed among obese individuals.