Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives
85 East Seventh Place, Suite 220, PO Box 64882
St. Paul, MN 55164-0882 651-201-5443
www.health.state.mn.us/obesity
Overweight and Obesity
Obesity is epidemic in the U.S. More than twothirds of U.S. adults and almost one-third of children
and adolescents are overweight or obese, and since
1980 obesity have doubled for adults and for
children tripled.
The obesity epidemic appears in both boys and girls,
men and women, and among all racial and ethnic
groups. This has serious health consequences for
individuals and a major impact on communities.
Defining overweight and obesity1
Overweight refers to increased body weight in
relation to height which may or may not be due to
increases in body fat. For example, the increase in
weight may also be due to an increase in lean muscle.
Obesity refers to an excessively high body weight in
relation to height. Body mass index (BMI) is used to
express the relationship of weight-to-height. BMI is
calculated using weight in kilograms and height in
meters (i.e., weight/height2). Among youth, BMI is
plotted using sex-specific BMI-for-age growth charts.
These charts generate a percentile relative to growth
patterns of children in the United States.
Adults:
 An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is
considered overweight
 An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is
considered obese
Youth:
 Overweight” means having a BMI at or above the
85th percentile for age and sex, but less than the
95th percentile
 “Obese” means having a BMI at or above the 95th
percentile
Overweight and obesity threatens
the health of our children, youth,
adults and seniors, placing them
at much greater risk for a wide
variety of chronic diseases and
health conditions.
Overweight and obesity statistics
National:
 In 2013, 29.4 percent of U.S. adults were obese,
and 35.4 percent were overweight.2
 In 2011, over 15 percent of high school students
were overweight, and 13 percent were obese.3
Minnesota:
 In 2013, 25.5 percent of adults were obese, and
35.6 percent were overweight.4
 In 2012, 12.7 percent of children 2-5 years of age
enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Program
for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) were
obese5
Updated October 2014
Overweight and Obesity Fact Sheet
Overweight and Obesity Fact Sheet – Page 2
A cause for concern
Being overweight or obese increases the risk of
premature death and many diseases and health
conditions, including the following1:
 Hypertension (high blood pressure)
 Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol)
 Type 2 Diabetes
 Coronary Heart Disease
 Stroke
 Gallbladder Disease
 Depression
 Osteoarthritis
 Sleep Apnea
 Some cancers
Obesity is also associated with:
 Pregnancy complications
 Menstrual irregularities
 Presence of excess body and facial hair
 Stress
 Incontinence
 Irregular surgical risk
 Increased mortality
Contributing factors
Overweight and obesity are generally caused by an
ongoing imbalance in the body’s energy intake and
expenditure. Lack of physical activity and unhealthy
eating patterns in our daily lives contribute to weight
gain over time. Genetics play a role in determining
weight. However, dramatic changes in the world over
time have altered our daily lifestyle, such as:
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Technology that reduces physical activity (e.g.,
cars, computers, TV)
Increased marketing and consumption of
unhealthy food items (e.g., high fat, sugar and
calorie content)
Increased food portions/serving size
Lack of environmental supports (e.g., no
sidewalks, unsafe neighborhoods, limited access
to fruits and vegetables)
Missing social and policy support (e.g., school and
child care nutrition and physical education
standards, worksite food and catering policies)
Economic impact
The economic impact of overweight and obesity
includes direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include
medical costs classified as preventive, diagnostic and
treatment. Indirect costs include morbidity and
mortality costs such as loss productivity,
absenteeism, and premature death. Based on national
estimates, the overall financial burden of obesity in
Minnesota, in 2008, was $2.8 billion6 Nationally,
medical costs associated with obesity were
estimated (2008) at $147 billion; the medical costs
for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than
those of normal weight.
For more information
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Overweight and Obesity Prevention:
www.health.state.mn.us/obesity
Nutrition:
www.health.state.mn.us/nutrition
Physical Activity:
www.health.state.mn.us/physicalactivity
References
1 Overweight and obesity by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (22 May 2007). Retrieved 1 Nov 2007 from
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/
2 BRFSS 2013 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved Oct 29, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/brfss
3 YRBSS 2011 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 25 Nov 2013 from http://www.cdc.gov/ yrbss
4 BRFSS 2013 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved Oct 29, 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/brfss
5 MDH Obesity and Overweight Status in Minnesota WIC Children May 2013
6 Finkelstein, E., Fiebelkorn, I., & Wang G. (2004). State-level estimates of annual medical expenditures attributable to obesity. Obesity
Research, 12(1):18-24.
Updated October 2014
Overweight and Obesity Fact Sheet