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Review
. 2016 Dec;45(4):571-579.
doi: 10.1016/j.gtc.2016.07.012.

Obesity Epidemiology Worldwide

Cassandra Arroyo-Johnson  1 , Krista D Mincey  2
Affiliations
Review

Obesity Epidemiology Worldwide

Cassandra Arroyo-Johnson et al. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

Obesity continues to be a public health concern across the globe. Obesity has a demonstrated association with health behaviors and health outcomes, such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. Over the past 2 decades, obesity has increased worldwide and remains highest in the United States. It is critical to understand the definition of obesity, using body mass index appropriately, recent estimates, and risk factors as a framework within which clinicians should work to help reduce the burden of obesity. This framework, including the Healthy People 2020 place-based approach to social determinants of health, is described in this article.

Keywords: BMI; Epidemiology; Obesity; Racial/ethnic disparities; Social determinants of health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interests to disclose

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Obesity prevalence among adults aged 20 and over, by sex and age: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2014
1Significantly different from those aged 20–39 2Significantly different from women of the same age group. NOTES: Totals were age-adjusted by the direct method to the 2000 U.S. census population using the age groups 20–39, 40–59, and 60 and over. Crude estimates are 36.5% for all, 34.5% for men, and 38.5% for women. From Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Fryar CD, et al. Prevalence of Obesity among Adults and Youth: United States, 2011–2014. NCHS Data Brief 2015: No. 219; with permission.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Obesity prevalence among adults aged 20 and over, by sex and race and Hispanic origin: United States, 2011–2014
1Significantly different from non-Hispanic Asian persons. 2Significantly different from non-Hispanic white persons. 3Significantly different from Hispanic persons. 4Significantly different from women of the same race and Hispanic origin. NOTE: All estimates are age-adjusted by the direct method to the 2000 U.S. census population using the age groups 20–39, 40–59, and 60 and over. From Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Fryar CD, et al. Prevalence of Obesity among Adults and Youth: United States, 2011–2014. NCHS Data Brief 2015: No. 219; with permission.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Obesity prevalence among adults aged 20–79 years, by sex: Canada, 2007–2009 and United States, 2007–2008
1Statistically different from estimate for Canada (p < 0.05). 2Use with caution (coefficient of variation 16.6%–33.3%). NOTES: BMI is body mass index. Estimates were age-standardized by the direct method to the 2000 United States Census population using age groups 20–39, 40–59, and 60–79. Pregnant women are excluded. Obesity class estimates do not sum to exact totals due to rounding. From Shields M, Carroll MD, Ogden CL. Adult Obesity Prevalence in Canada and the United States. NCHS Data Brief 2011; No. 56; with permission.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Obesity prevalence among youth aged 2–19 years, by sex and age: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2014
1Significantly different from those aged 2–5 years. From Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Fryar CD, et al. Prevalence of Obesity among Adults and Youth: United States, 2011–2014. NCHS Data Brief 2015: No. 219; with permission.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Obesity prevalence among youth aged 2–19 years, by sex and race and Hispanic origin: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011–2014
1Significantly different from non-Hispanic Asians. 2Significantly different from non-Hispanic whites. 3Significantly different from females of the same race and Hispanic origin. 4Significantly different from non-Hispanic blacks. From Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Fryar CD, et al. Prevalence of Obesity among Adults and Youth: United States, 2011–2014. NCHS Data Brief 2015: No. 219; with permission.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Obesity prevalence among children and adolescents aged 3–19 years, by sex: Canada, 2009–2013, and United States, 2009–2012
1Statistically significant difference compared with Canada (p < 0.05). NOTE: Pregnant girls are excluded. From Carroll MD, Navaneelan T, Bryan S, et al. Prevalence of Obesity among Children and Adolescents in the United States and Canada. NCHS Data Brief 2015; No. 211; with permission.
Figure 7
Figure 7. Healthy People 2020 place-based framework on social determinants of health
From Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Social Determinants of Health. Heal People 2020. 2014. Available at: https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health. Accessed July 7, 2016; with permission.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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