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How many people in the United States are overweight or obese?

Among U.S. women 20 years and older, over 64 million are overweight and over 34 million are obese.

Obesity is measured with a body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on height and weight. Individuals with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight, while individuals with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese.

An unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are contributing factors to becoming overweight or obese. Overweight and obesity are problems that continue to get worse in the United States. Bigger portion sizes, little time to exercise or cook healthy meals, and relying on cars to get around are just a few reasons for this increase.

An unhealthy diet and physical inactivity can increase your chances of getting heart disease, cancer, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease, and osteo-arthritis.

Experts agree that the best way to lose weight is to follow a sensible eating plan and engage in regular physical activity. If you’re interested in a weight-loss program, it should encourage healthy behaviors that help you lose weight that you can maintain over time. Before you start a weight-loss program, talk to your doctor.

Safe and effective weight-loss programs should include these components:

• Healthy eating plans that reduce calories but do not rule out specific foods or food groups
• Regular physical activity and/or exercise instruction
• Tips on healthy behavior changes that also consider your cultural needs
• Slow and steady weight loss of about ¾ to 2 pounds per week and not more than 3 pounds per week (weight loss may be faster at the start of a program)
• Medical care if you are planning to lose weight by following a special formula diet, such as a very-low-calorie diet
• A plan to keep the weight off after you have lost it

What steps can I take to have a healthier diet? Follow these tips on healthy eating: Focus on fruits. Eat a variety of fruits – whether fresh, frozen, canned, or dried – rather than fruit juice for most of your fruit choices. For a 2,000-calorie diet, you will need 2 cups of fruit each day – like 1 small banana, 1 large orange, and 1/4 cup of dried apricots or peaches. Vary your veggies. Eat more dark green veggies, such as broccoli, kale, and other dark leafy greens; orange veggies, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash; and beans and peas, such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas, and lentils. Get your calcium-rich foods. Get 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk – or an equivalent amount of low-fat yogurt and/or low-fat cheese (11/2 ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk) – every day. If you don’t or can’t consume milk, choose lactose-free milk products and/or calcium-fortified foods and drinks. Make half your grains whole. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day. One ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta. Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats, or corn are referred to as “whole” in the list of ingredients. Go lean with protein. Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil it, or grill it. Vary your protein choices with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds. Limit saturated fats. Get less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids. Most fats should come from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. When selecting and preparing meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products, make choices that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free. Limit salt. Get less than 2,300 mg of sodium (approximately 1 teaspoon of salt) each day.

How can physical activity help?

An active lifestyle can help every woman. You don’t have to be as fit as a professional athlete to benefit from physical activity. In fact, 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week can greatly improve your health. Most people can get greater health benefits by engaging in physical activity of more vigorous intensity or longer duration.

To help manage body weight and prevent gradual, unhealthy body weight gain, get about 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity on most days of the week, while not exceeding caloric intake requirements. To keep weight loss off, get at least 60 to 90 minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity while not exceeding caloric intake requirements.

The things kids learn as children become more difficult to change as they get older. This is certainly true for their eating and physical activity habits. Many children today have a poor diet with little physical activity. They eat foods high in calories and saturated fat and don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables.

They watch TV, play video games, or use the computer instead of being active. So kids are becoming overweight or obese and have a higher chance of becoming obese adults. Overweight children face health risks, like diabetes, gallstones, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure.

Help your child become more active.

• Set limits on the amount of time the family watches TV, plays video games, and uses the computer.
• Encourage your children to get one hour of physical activity every day.
• Find out about activity programs in your community.
• Ask your children what they like to do and what they’d like to try, like Little League Baseball or swim team.
• Create family activities that involve physical activity, like hiking, walking, or playing ball.
• Help your children eat right.
• Have your children plan and cook healthy meals with you.
• Don’t do other things while you eat, like watch TV.
• Give your kids healthy snacks, like fruits, whole-grain crackers, and vegetables.
• Limit your trips to fast-food restaurants.
• Involve the whole family in healthy eating. Don’t single out your children by their weight.

We know children do what they see — not always what they are told. Set a good example for your children. Your kids will learn to eat right and be active by watching you. Setting a good example can mean a lifetime of good habits for you and your kids.