The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) estimates that ?300 million people around the world are obese. The task force's conservative estimates suggest that obesity levels will continue to rise in the early 21st century?with severe health consequences.?



IOTF chairman Philip James warns: ?Obesity constitutes one of the most important medical and public health problems of our time.?

The World Health Organization (WHO) is also concerned about this growing crisis and states, ?Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Once considered a problem only in high income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings.?

According to the WHO, ?Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A crude population measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a person's weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height (in metres). A person with a BMI of 30 or more is generally considered obese. A person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered overweight.?

It's common to underestimate one's own BMI, but online calculators make it easy to check (see links below). For adults, a BMI measurement between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered to be a normal, healthy weight, while 25 to 29.9 is considered to be overweight, and anything over 30 is considered obese. These measurements can be helpful, but have limitations: since they are an average measurement of body fat based on height and weight, they can overestimate the amount of body fat in a large-boned, muscular adult or underestimate the amount of body fat in a small-boned, slender-looking adult. It's also important to note that BMI measurements for growing children and teens are calculated differently from adults.

Another easy way to determine whether one has a healthy weight is to measure waist circumference. This measurement is important because obesity research shows that abdominal fat in particular is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. For most adult men, the waist circumference should be less than 40 inches or 102 centimeters. For adult women, the waist circumference should be less than 35 inches or 88 centimeters.

These numbers may not be perfect for every body type, but they can serve as a wake-up call to prevent becoming one more obesity statistic. Reversing obesity rates depends on each individual paying attention to his or her own health, and taking steps to stay within a healthy weight range.

Both on an individual level and on a global level, the time to take care of soaring obesity rates is before they careen out of control. Although Benjamin Franklin could never have imagined this health crisis, his words are especially appropriate: ?An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.? But prevention requires that we take care of our own health and take responsibility for teaching the next generation how to prevent obesity by making healthy choices in food and activity levels. The long-term consequences of not doing so are rising health costs, serious illness and untold preventable deaths.