|
RAND:
The proportion of Americans who are severely obese --- about 100 pounds or more overweight --- increased by 50 percent from 2000 to 2005, twice as fast as the growth seen in moderate obesity, according to a RAND Corporation study issued today.
"The proportion of people at the high end of the weight scale continues to increase at a brisk rate despite increased public attention on the risks of obesity and the increased use of drastic weight loss strategies such as bariatric surgery," said Roland Sturm, author of the report and an economist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization.
To be classified as severely obese, a person must have a body mass index (a ratio of weight to height) of 40 or higher --- roughly 100 pounds or more overweight for an average adult man.
The typical severely obese man weighs 300 pounds at a height of 5 feet 10 inches tall, while the typical severely obese woman weighs 250 pounds at a height of 5 feet 4 inches.
People with a BMI of 25 to 29 are considered overweight, while a BMI of 30 or more classifies a person as being obese.
For a 5-foot-10 inch male, a BMI of 30 translates into being 35 pounds overweight.
Posted on April 12, 2007 11:02 PM
|
