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Overweight and obesity

• More information on overweight and obesity

African-American women have the highest rates overweight and obesity compared to other groups in the United States. About 4 in 5 African-American women are overweight or obese.

Being overweight or obese increases your risk of:

• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Breathing problems
• Arthritis
• Gallbladder disease
• Sleep apnea
• Some cancers

Obesity or overweight is measured with a body mass index (BMI). The taller you are, the more weight you can carry. And shorter people can't carry as much weight. So, the BMI shows the relationship of weight to height. For instance, if you are 5 feet 4 inches tall and weigh 145 pounds, your BMI is 25. But if you are 5 feet 4 inches tall and weigh 174 pounds, your BMI is 30. Women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight. Women with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. All people 18 years or older who have a BMI of 25 or more are at risk of early death and disability from being overweight or obese. These health risks increase as the BMI rises.

If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can lower your risk of many health problems. And physical activity is one key part of weight loss and keeping a healthy weight. Health benefits are gained by doing the following each week:

• Aerobic activity that includes:
  • 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity
    or
    
  • 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity
    or
    
  • A combination of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity
    and
    
  • Muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days of the week

This physical activity should be in addition to your routine activities of daily living, such as cleaning or spending a few minutes walking from the parking lot to your office. If weight loss is your goal, you may need to spend more time doing aerobic activity to see the effects.

Eating healthy meals that focus on portion control also plays a role in weight loss and keeping a healthy weight. If you need to lose weight, ask your doctor to help you with a weight-loss plan that includes healthy meal planning and physical activity.

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More information on overweight and obesity

Read more from womenshealth.gov

• Overweight, Obesity, and Weight Loss Fact Sheet — This fact sheet defines obesity and explains some of the factors that contribute to becoming overweight or obese. It provides statistics on how many women are obese, explains the serious health problems associated with obesity, and discusses how obese women can lose weight to improve their health.
  http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/overweight-weight-loss.cfm

Explore other publications and websites

• Aim for a Healthy Weight! — This website lets you calculate your obesity risk and provides safe and effective ways to lose or maintain weight. Menu planners, shopping tips, and a food and activity diary are included.
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/index.htm
• Do You Know the Health Risks of Being Overweight? — The more overweight you are, the more likely you are to have health problems. Weight loss can help improve the harmful effects of being overweight. This fact sheet explains how to find out if you are overweight, how extra body weight can add to health risks, and how to safely lose weight.
  http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/health_risks.htm
• Exercise: How to Get Started (Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians) — This fact sheet discusses the importance of exercise in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and preventing health problems. It includes tips on how to get active as well as diagrams on how to properly stretch before working out.
  http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/physical/basics/015.html
• Improving Your Health: Tips for African American Men and Women — This publication for African-American men and women provides information on weight loss and the health risks of being overweight.
  http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/improving.htm
• Sisters Together: Celebrate the Beauty of Youth! — This fact sheet for African-American women provides tips on nutrition and exercise as a way to feel healthy. It also provides useful tips on setting doable goals. It even tells you how to eat out and still be healthy.
  http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/celebrate.htm
• Walking: A Step in the Right Direction — This publication offers information about how to start your own walking and exercise program. A sample walking program and guidelines are provided to help guide you through developing your own program.
  http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/walking.htm
• Weight and Waist Measurement: Tools for Adults — This brochure gives information on how you can use your body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference to determine if you are at risk for weight-related health problems, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes.
  http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/tools.htm
• Weight Loss for Life — This publication talks about ways to lose weight and keep it off for life. It emphasizes a mix of healthy diet and exercise and covers different weight-loss programs to help individuals decide what's best for their needs.
  http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/for_life.htm

Connect with other organizations

• American Heart Association
  http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
• CDC's WISEWOMAN — Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation
  http://www.cdc.gov/wisewoman/
• Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, FCS, FNCS, USDA
  http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/
• Food and Nutrition Information Center, USDA
  http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Information Center, NHLBI, NIH, HHS
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/infoctr/index.htm
• Nutrition.gov
  http://www.nutrition.gov/
• SmallStep.gov
  http://www.smallstep.gov/
• Weight-Control Information Network
  http://win.niddk.nih.gov/index.htm

Content last updated May 18, 2010.

Resources last updated May 18, 2010.

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