There are a record number of overweight adults and children in the United States today. In fact, one of the health objectives for 2010 is to reduce the prevalence of obesity among adults to less than 15%.
The number of overweight and obese adults and adolescents continues to rise considerably. Because of this epidemic, healthcare teams will be faced with caring for an increased number of overweight and obese residents. Poor diet and physical inactivity are the most important factors contributing to an epidemic of overweight and obesity.
Being overweight or obese is described as having an excess of body weight according to standards for height. A more specific measurement would be body mass index (BMI), refer to Appendix 5. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 kg/m2 is considered overweight. Obesity is defined as a BMI of greater than 30 kg/m2.
In older adults, maintaining a higher BMI may not necessarily be bad as it has been associated with lower mortality rates. The best BMI for subjects greater than 60 years of age has been shown to be greater than 27. In a study of body weight in older subjects aged 84 to 88 years it was observed that mortality is increased when BMI is less than 22, but is not increased when BMI is greater than 30.
Obesity is the second preventable cause of death in the United States. The economic impact has been estimated at near $117 billion when all health affects are taken into consideration. Being overweight or obese are known risk factors for type 2 diabetes, cardiopulmonary disease, stroke, hypertension (high bloodpressure), gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and some forms of cancer.
Obesity is also associated with hyperlipidemia (high blood cholesterol), complications associated with pregnancy, irregular menses, stress incontinence, depression, and increased surgical risk if such procedures are needed. Treatment for being overweight or obese includes diet and behavior therapy.
Exercise is a key part of the treatment and should be customized to the patient’s ability. Patient motivation and readiness to make changes should also be evaluated as well as the individual’s understanding of the causes of obesity and how obesity contributes to disease. Patients’ own personal goals must always be considered prior to the initiation of a weight management program.
Read more...
The use of calorie-controlled diets for weight management
Weight Management Diet Principals
Weight Management For Diets Source :
Simplified Diet Manual, Eleventh Edition. Edited by Andrea K. Maher.
