BMI, obesity and weight control

A body weight higher than what is taken into account healthy for an individual’s height is defined as obese or obesity (CDC, 2023). Body mass index (BMI) is a screening tool used for obese/obesity. BMI is calculated by dividing an individual’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters (CDC. 2023)

The table below explains the categories related to BMI values ​​(CDC, 2023).

The morbidity and mortality related to obese or obesity has been well-known to physicians for a few years. Obesity is a chronic disease that’s increasingly prevalent in adults, children, and adolescents within the United States and is taken into account a worldwide pandemic (Perreault, 2024). Obesity in each children and adults can increase the danger of developing hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and gallbladder disease (CDC, 2023). Adults with obesity are also at increased risk of stroke, many sorts of cancer, premature death, and depression and anxiety (CDC, 2023). In the United States, obesity is related to the ten leading causes of death and related pre-mortem comorbidities (Ogden, Yanovski, Carroll, & Flegal, 2007). The risk of mortality increases with increasing BMI (Guh et al., 2009). The 2013 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/TOS Obesity Guidelines recommend that patients who’re obese or obese and have risk aspects for heart problems (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia) needs to be advised to make lifestyle changes resulting in even moderate, sustained weight reduction of three to five% produces clinically significant health advantages, and greater weight reduction produces greater advantages. This weight reduction is prone to lead to significant reductions in triglycerides, blood glucose, hemoglobin A1C, and the danger of developing type 2 diabetes (Jensen et al., 2014).

The American Gastroenterological Association published a white paper in 2017 titled POWER – Practice Guide on Obesity and Weight Management, Education and Resources (Acosta et al., 2017). The POWER model presents a continuum of care based on 4 phases:

1. Rating
2. Intensive weight reduction intervention
3. Weight stabilization and re-intensification if mandatory
4. Preventing weight gain again

They summarized weight management strategies as follows:

1. Nutrition: Reduce your intake below the extent required for energy balance, consuming 1,200-1,500 calories per day for ladies and 1,500-1,800 calories per day for men.
2. Physical activity: Reach a goal of 10,000 or more steps per day.
3. Exercise: Reach a goal of 150 minutes or more of cardiovascular exercise per week.
4. Limit your intake of liquid calories (i.e. soda, juice, alcohol, etc.).
5. Use a tool to support and follow a low-calorie eating regimen.

They recognized that lifestyle changes, including a reduced-calorie eating regimen and physical activity, are the cornerstone of treatment, and that medications, bariatric endoscopy, and surgery are vital tools to assist patients with obesity achieve realistic goals.

Read all white paper to learn more concerning the stages of obesity treatment and weight management, pharmacotherapy, and various procedural and surgical interventions within the treatment of obesity.

Acosta, A., Streett, S., Kroh, M. D., Cheskin, L. J., Saunders, K., Kurian, M.… and Aronne, L. (2017). AGA White Paper: A Power Practice Guide to Obesity and Weight Management, Education and Resources. (631-649). https://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2016.10.023

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023, September 21). Overweight and obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html

Guh, D. P., Zhang, W., Bansback, N., Amarsi, Z., Birmingham, C. L., & Anis, A. H. (2009). Prevalence of obesity- and overweight-related comorbidities: a scientific review and meta-analysis. , , 88. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-9-88

Jensen, M.D., Ryan, D.H., Apovian, C.M., Ard, J.D., Comuzzie, A.G., Donato, K.A., Hu, F.B., Hubbard, V.S., Jakicic, J.M., Kushner, R.F., Loria, C.M., Millen, B.E., Nonas, C. A., Pi-Sunyer, F. X., Stevens, J., Stevens, V. J., Wadden, T. A., Wolfe, B. M., Yanovski, S. Z., Jordan, H. S., … Obesity Society (2014). 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS Guidelines for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults: Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and The Obesity Society. , (25 Supplement 2), S102–S138. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.0000437739.71477.ee

Ogden, C. L., Yanovski, S. Z., Carroll, M. D., & Flegal, K. M. (2007). Epidemiology of obesity. , (6), 2087–2102. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2007.03.052

Perreault, L. (2024, March 22). Obesity in adults: prevalence, screening and assessment. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/obesity-in-adults-prevalence-screening-and-evaluation