Overweight and Obesity
Date Posted: 11/04/2009
Quick Data Links
A person is considered overweight if they have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or over, and obese if they have a BMI of 30 or greater. BMI is calculated by multiplying your weight in pounds by 703 divided by your height (in inches)2. BMI calculators are available online that can quickly calculate your BMI. The data used in this report is from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) reported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The information is gathered via ongoing monthly telephone surveys, and as such, is self-reported.
According to the report, F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America (August 2009), adult obesity rates have doubled in the last 30 years and childhood rates have more than tripled. During this same time, spending on health care has increased two percentage points faster than the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), increasing from 8.8% in 1980 to an estimated 17.6% in 2009.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has an interactive map available that shows the obesity epidemic progression beginning in 1985.
What this chart shows: Percentage of Obese Residents (BMI > 30) in the United States, Colorado & Larimer County, 2004-2008
Data Source:
- Centers for Disease Control (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) - United States & Colorado
- Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment - Larimer County
What these data tell us:
During the period between 2004 and 2008, Larimer County experienced a 46.2% increase in the number of obese residents. Extended to the general population, there were nearly 44,000 obese persons county-wide as of 2008.Nationwide, the increase in obesity rates is attributed to several factors:
- American are consuming, on average, 300 more calories daily than we were 25 years ago and these calories tend to be of less nutritious food;
- Nutritious food is considerably more expensive than less nutritious, calorie-dense foods like potato chips;
- Americans are walking less and driving more - even for relatively short trips;
- In some communities, parks and recreation spaces are not considered safe or well-maintained;
- School lunches tend to not meet nutrition standards and children are engaged in less physical activities in school;
- More children are spending an increased amount of time in front of a screen and less time participating in physical activities; and
- Adults are often working longer hours and commuting longer distances.
What this chart shows: Percentage of Overweight and Obese Residents by Age Group - Larimer County, 2008
Data Source: Colorado Health Information Dataset
What these data tell us:
In Larimer County, those in the 55-64 age group had the highest percentage of overweight residents. While data for children under 18 years old and those between 18 and 24 years of age were not available, childhood obesity is a concern across the nation. (The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has information on childhood obesity.)Weight gain is common as people age, but generally decreases around age 70 due to loss in muscle and fat tissue. Common reasons for weight gain in older adults include: decreases in resting metabolic rate, visceral body fat (genetic makeup), decreases in physical activity, and overeating.
What this chart shows: Percentage of Overweight and Obese Residents by Gender - Larimer County, 2008
Data Source: Colorado Health Information Dataset
What these data tell us:
In 2008, males in Larimer County were more likely to be overweight than females. However, percentages of obesity for males and females were nearly identical. It is quite likely that these numbers are under reported and women may be more likely to under report weight issues than men.What this chart shows: Percentage of Overweight and Obese Residents by Income Level - Larimer County, 2008
Data Source: Colorado Health Information Dataset
What these data tell us:
In Larimer Count, the greater than $75,000 income range had the highest percentage of individuals reporting overweight status (40.4%), while those who earned less than $15,000 had the highest likelihood of obesity (41.2%). It should be noted that in Larimer County the annual per capita income is $36,766 (2007). Please see the Per Capita Income page on Compass for more information.Nationally, those with low socioeconomic status have been more likely to be obese than high socioeconomic status counterparts. However, this disparity has decreased from 1970-2000. The relationship between weight and income may be related to food costs and the availability of food types (poorer people tend to consume more energy-dense foods because they cost less).
The racial and ethnic groups represented in the Colorado Health Information Dataset (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) are small in sample size (for Larimer County). Therefore, due to possible misrepresentation, racial and ethnic group data were not presented. However, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, minorities have a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity, when compared to White individuals.
Additional Information:
On Compass-
- Cancer Incidence & Mortality
- Cardiovascular Disease & Stroke Mortality
- Diabetes
- Physical Exercise
- Lung Cancer Incidence & Mortality
- Mortality
Outside Compass-
- American Obesity Association; comprehensive resource for national statistics and news articles related to overweight and obesity issues.
- Calories Count: Report of the Working Group on Obesity (March 2004) - new recommendations for combating the nation's "epidemic of obesity' from a Food and Drug Administration panel. The Obesity Working Group proposes changing food labels to more prominently display calories, encouraging restaurants to provide calorie and nutrition information, and educating consumers about how to maintain a healthy diet and weight.
- F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America (August 2009)
- Improving Child Nutrition Policy: Insights from National USDA Study of School Food Environments (February 2009) - according to this report, 'fewer than one-third of public schools participating in the National School Lunch Program offered lunches that met the SMI standards for total fat or saturated fat.'
- Income, Education and Obesity: A Closer Look at Inequities in Colorado's Obesity Problem (2008) - offers a snapshot look at obesity in Colorado. In 2007, 24.7% of obese children in Colorado lived in families less than $25,000 per year, versus 8.8% from families earning more than $75,000 annually.
- Nutrition and Weight Management Assistance, Health District of Northern Larimer County - reduced fees are available for people with low incomes who live in northern Larimer County.
- The Obesity Epidemic and United States Students - this fact sheet, produced by the CDC, summarizes the findings of the 2007 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey taken by high school students.
- Overweight and Obesity; Centers for Disease Control; provides definitions, statistics, consequences, and more information regarding overweight and obesity.
- Promoting Healthy Communities and Reducing Childhood Obesity: Legislative Options (March 2009) - this report, by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, discusses the various legislative options for promoting healthy communities. According to this report, Colorado is the only state that doesn't require physical education in the schools.
- Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States (July 2009) - a report published by the CDC that offers a wide variety of strategies to prevent obesity ranging from encouraging breastfeeding to limiting sugar-sweetened drinks in preschools to providing incentives to local farmers and enhancing infrastructure that encourages bicycling.
Industry Standards or Targets:
19-1. Increase the proportion of adults who are at a healthy weight to 60%.
19-2. Reduce the proportion of adults who are obese to 15%.
Data Tables:
Percentage of Obese Residents - US, Colorado & Larimer County, 2004-2008
|
United States |
Colorado |
Larimer County |
|
|
2004 |
23.2% |
16.8% | 13.0% |
|
2005 |
24.4% |
17.8% |
14.0% |
|
2006 |
25.1% |
18.2% | 17.0% |
|
2007 |
26.3% |
19.3% | 17.0% |
|
2008 |
26.7% |
19.1% | 19.0% |
Percentage of Overweight and Obese by Age Group - Larimer County, 2008
|
Age Group |
Overweight |
Obese |
|
25-34 |
30.7% | 18.6% |
|
35-44 |
33.2% | 20.9% |
|
45-54 |
44.5% | 18.2% |
|
55-64 |
48.0% | 20.2% |
|
65+ |
37.0% | 16.5% |
Percentage of Overweight and Obese by Gender - Larimer County, 2008
|
Male |
Female |
|
|
Overweight |
43.3% | 26.2% |
|
Obese |
18.2% | 17.9% |
Overweight and Obese by Income Level - Larimer County, 2008
|
<$15,000 |
$15-29,999 |
$25-34,999 |
$35-49,999 |
$50-74,999 |
>$75,000 |
|
|
Overweight |
32.2% | 34.1% | 27.6% | 30.3% | 38.1% | 40.4% |
|
Obese |
41,2% | 25.8% | 19.8% | 16.4% | 9.6% | 16.2% |