Menu title: BMI: Body Mass Index



Overweight and Obesity
Obesity Trends

Percentage of United States Adults Who Use Specific Weight Control Practices By Body Mass Index**
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2000);
Self-reported data

According to the self-reported data of CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, most participants claimed that they were trying to lose or maintain weight. Only 20.1 percent of overweight participants (those with a BMI of 25 to 29.9) and 13.5 percent of obese participants (those with a BMI of 30 and above) claimed they were not trying to lose or maintain their weight.

This table reflects the percentages of individuals who use specific weight control practices by body mass index.

Type
of Weight Control Practices

 Body Mass Index
  Total
%		 Normal
%		 Overweight
%		 Obese
%
Weight Control
Practices		        
Trying to lose weight 38.5 20.7 45.0 65.7
Trying to maintain weight 35.9 43.6 34.9 20.8
Neither 25.6 35.7 20.1 13.5
Physical Activity        
Inactive 27.0 23.8 26.0 35.6
Irregularly active 28.2 27.8 28.7 28.1
Regular not intense 30.5 31.6 31.1 27.2
Regular intense 14.3 16.8 14.2 9.1
Fruit and vegetable intake, servings per day        
Less than 1 4.0 3.9 3.5 5.2
1 to less than 3 33.1 31.0 34.1 35.7
3 to less than 5 38.5 38.3 39.1 38.0
5 or more 24.4 26.8 23.3 21.1
Professional advice on weight*        
Lose 17.3 3.3 15.6 42.8
Gain 1.0 1.7 0.6 0.4
Maintain 2.7 3.2 2.8 1.9
None 79 91.8 81.0 54.9

*Questions were asked only to participants trying to lose or maintain weight; percentages are for persons who had a routine checkup in the previous 12 months.

Source: CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
BRFSS is the world’s largest telephone survey that tracks health risks in the United States. Information from the survey is used to improve the health of the American people. Questions relate to personal behaviors that increase risk for one or more of the ten leading causes of death in the United States.

According to the self-reported data of CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, most participants claimed that they were trying to lose or maintain weight. Only 20.1 percent of overweight participants (those with a BMI of 25 to 29.9) and 13.5 percent of obese participants (those with a BMI of 30 and above) claimed they were not trying to lose or maintain their weight.

**as determined by Body Mass Index (BMI). An adult who has a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, while a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.

Reference:

Mokdad AH, Bowman BA, Ford ES, et al. The continuing epidemics of obesity and diabetes in the United States. JAMA. September 12, 2001; 286(10):1195-1200.



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