Obesity is excess body weight, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 30 kg/m2. Complications include cardiovascular disorders (particularly in people with excess abdominal fat), diabetes mellitus, certain cancers, cholelithiasis, fatty liver, cirrhosis, osteoarthritis, reproductive disorders in men and women, psychologic disorders, and, for people with BMI ≥ 35, premature death. Diagnosis is based on BMI. Treatment includes lifestyle modification (eg, in diet, physical activity, and behavior) and, for certain patients, drugs or bariatric (weight-loss) surgery.
(See also Obesity in Adolescents.)
Prevalence of obesity in the US is high in all age groups (see table Changes in Prevalence of Obesity According to NHANES). In 2015-2016, gt; 39.6% of adults were obese (1).
Prevalence is highest among Hispanics (47.0%) and non-Hispanic blacks (46.8%), compared with whites (37.9%), and Asians (12.7% [2]). Black men in higher income groups are more likely to be obese than those in lower income groups. However, women in higher income groups are less likely to be obese, except for black women. For them, there was no difference in obesity prevalence based on income.
In the US, obesity and its complications cause as many as 300,000 premature deaths each year, making it second only to cigarette smoking as a preventable cause of death.