Overweight and Obesity

Date Posted: 07/19/2007

A person is considered overweight if they have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or over, and obese if they have a BMI over 30. BMI is calculated by dividing a person's weight in pounds by his or her height (in inches)² multiplied by 704.5. To calculate your body mass index click here. 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 (click here to read more about the BRFSS). Please note: If respondents indicated that they were both overweight and obese on the BRFSS survey, they were represented in both categories. Therefore, the cumulative percentage did not equal one-hundred percent.

What this chart shows: Percentage of Normal/ Underweight, Overweight, & Obese Residents- Larimer County, 1996-97 to 2004-05

Data Source: Colorado Health Information Dataset (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey)

See data table

What these data tell us:

During the period 1996-97 to 2004-05, Larimer County experienced an increase in the percentage of overweight (11% gain) and obese (5% gain) residents. While most Larimer County residents (18+ years) were in the normal or underweight categories (BMI of under 25), this percentage appears to have gradually declined (11% decrease). Extended to the general population (as of 2004-05), there were over 135,000 overweight and over 35,000 obese persons county-wide as of 2004-05.

'Obesity is a disease that affects nearly one-third of the adult American population (approximately 60 million). The number of overweight and obese Americans has continued to increase since 1960, a trend that is not slowing down. Today, 64.5% of adult Americans (about 127 million) are categorized as being overweight or obese. Each year, obesity causes at least 300,000 excess deaths in the U.S., and healthcare costs of American adults with obesity amount to approximately $100 billion' (American Obesity Association).

What this chart shows: Percentage of Overweight and Obesity by Age Group- Larimer County, 2004-05

Data Source: Colorado Health Information Dataset

See data table

What these data tell us:

In Larimer County residents in the 55-64 age group had the greatest percentage of both overweight and obesity. While data for children under 18 years old were not available, childhood obesity is a concern across the nation (for information on childhood obesity click here). 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 Obesity by Gender - Larimer County, 2004-05

Data Source: Colorado Health Information Dataset

See data table

What these data tell us:

In 2004-05, males in Larimer County were more likely to be overweight than females. However, percentages of obesity for males and females were identical. The data for Colorado in 2004-05 were similar to that of Larimer County with 63% of males and 45% of females reporting that they were overweight and 18% of males and 17% of females reporting that were obese (Colorado Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System).

Additional Information:

On Compass-

• Cancer Incidence & Mortality
• Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Mortality
• Diabetes
• Exercise
• Lung Cancer Incidence & Mortality
• Mortality and Life Expectancy

Outside Compass-

• American Obesity Association; comprehensive resource for national statistics and news articles related to overweight and obesity issues.
• Health District of Northern Larimer County Community Health Survey - provides comparison of 2004 overweight and obesity data (page 3) to previous studies. (1995, 1998, 2001, 2004).
• 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.
• Low Income and the Development of America's Kindergarteners (November 2003, National Center for Children in Poverty). See pages 6-7 for comparisons of overweight children by family income level.
• 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.
• Overweight and Obesity; Centers for Disease Control; provides definitions, statistics, consequences, and more information regarding overweight and obesity.
• Survey On Childhood Obesity (March 2004) This survey by The San Jose Mercury News and the Kaiser Family Foundation focuses on San Francisco Bay Area adults' knowledge about childhood obesity and their attitudes towards policy options to address it. A separate national survey of adults provides national comparisons of views on public policy options.

Industry Standards or Targets:

Healthy People 2010

• Reduce the proportion of adults who are obese.
• Increase the proportion of adults who are at a healthy weight.

Data Tables:

Percentage of Normal/Underweight, Overweight, & Obese Residents -

Larimer County, 1996-97 to 2004-05

	Normal/ Underweight	Overweight	Obese
1996-97	61%	39%	8%
1998-99	59%	41%	16%
2000-01	49%	51%	14%
2002-03	54%	46%	10%
2004-05	50%	50%	13%

See chart

Percentage of Overweight and Obesity by Age Group- Larimer County, 2004-05

	Overweight	Obese
18-24	24	3.6
25-34	42.5	10
35-44	50.6	16.3
45-54	61.4	14.5
55-64	65	20.5
65+	55.2	11.4

See chart

Percentage of Overweight and Obesity by Gender - Larimer County, 2004-05

	Male	Female
Overweight	60.9	39.4
Obese	12.9	13

See chart

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