Children who are overweight are more likely to become overweight adults and, sooner or later, will face the many negative physical and social implications of that health state. Obesity puts a person at higher risk for a myriad of health problems, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Obesity is a major cause of gallstones and can worsen degenerative joint disease. Other, less obvious side effects of a population with overweight individuals include increased use of sick days, more hospital visits, and higher health insurance costs.
Obesity is mainly caused by taking in more calories than are used up in physical activity and daily life. When people eat too many calories, or too much saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, their blood cholesterol levels often rise. Other factors, including environment, genetics, family history, metabolism, and behavior, can also contribute to a person’s weight. During the past 20 years, there have been significant increases in overweight and obesity levels across the nation.
The BMI formula assesses body weight relative to height. It is a useful, indirect measure of body composition, because in most people it correlates highly with body fat. To calculate, multiply weight in pounds by 703, divide by height in inches, then divide again by height in inches. In studies by the National Center for Health Statistics:
- BMI values less than 18.5 are considered underweight.
- BMI values from 18.5 to 24.9 are normal.
- BMI values 25-30 are overweight.
- BMI values over 30 are considered obese.
- BMI values of 40 or greater are considered extreme obesity.
This indicator measures the percent of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in Walla Walla County whose BMI is over 25% or falls within the highest 15% of reported BMI's. The highest 5% includes youth who are obese. Washington State is offered as a benchmark. Additional information, including the shares for each grade individually, can be found in the “Download Data” section.
