People use ‘overweight’ and ‘obesity’ as labels describe ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally conceded healthy for a given height and build. Obesity and overweight are not only problems for adults, but for many children also. Children may not know it but overweight and obesity lead to other nutritional diseases later in life. If children are obese as adolescents then it is more likely that they will remain obese into adulthood. Obesity has climbed its way up the ladder to become one of the most important nutritional issues facing Australians.
To start off our bodies are made up of water, fat, protein, carbohydrates and various vitamins and minerals. You are coincided obese when you have excessive disposition and storage of fat. Fat takes up a certain amount of you total body mass. Body mass index is the way that body fat mass is estimated. To work out how much body mass fat someone has you must divide their weight by the square of his/her height. where as overweight is classified as having more weight that is normal or necessary to the persons age or build. If you have a body mass index of anywhere between 25.0-29.9% you are considered overweight. As soon as your BMI gets to 30% or more you are considered obese.
Over the last 20 - 30 years rates of obesity in Australia have increased significantly. It is estimated that 7.4 million adults in Australia were overweight in 2004-05, with over 30% of those being obese. Overweight and obese in children and adolescents is determined the same way as adults, by comparing calculated (weight/height 2) against the relevant age and sex. For example, an 11 year old boy with a calculated of 21 would be considered overweight while a 7 year old girl with a BMI of 17.5 would not be considered as overweight or obese.
What children and adults eat and their level of physical activity help determine whether they will gain weight. A number of factors can influence diet and physical activity including personal...