Obesity

Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is greater than what is considered healthy. Obesity is a growing epidemic. According to Healthy People 2010, it is estimated that 107 million adults are overweight or obese in the United States. Doctors use a formula based on body weight called the body mass index (BMI) to categorize a person's weight.

Adults with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight. Adult with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. Severe obesity or morbid obesity is defined as having a BMI of 40 or more. Being overweight or obese is associated with an increased risk of illness from coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, liver disease, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and osteoporosis. Obese individuals may also suffer from low self esteem, lack of confidence, and low energy levels.

Helping individuals achieve and maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle is the objective of RUWellness. Our mission is an effort to help decrease the burden of obesity and its consequences in the quality of life and life expectancy of individuals.

Click here to view Body Mass Index (BMI) Table