The "O" Factor: A Review of the Literature and Strategies to Reduce Childhood Obesity (Report‪)‬

Obesity in children is increasing at an alarming rate. "Results from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System suggest that obesity prevalence has increased by more than 50% among adults between 1991-1999" (Strauss, 2001). Obesity is now affecting over 90 million Americans (ACSM Resources Manual, 2009). In 2003-2004 33.6% of U.S. children and adolescents were classified as overweight or obese (Ogden et al., 2006). Obesity is commonly determined by looking at a person's BMI or body mass index (BMI). It can be found by the following formula: (body mass in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) or (weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared)*703. This formula is a good assessment to classify someone as underweight, adequate, overweight, or obese. A BMI equal to or greater than 30 is an indication of obesity, while 25-29 is a sign of being overweight. Underweight is having a BMI under 18.5 and this can put a person at risk for osteoporosis. Other measures are for women to have a waist/hip ratio of .86, and men .95. Obesity may also be determined by waist size, where women are classified as obese if they have a waist size of 88 cm, and men have a waist circumference of 102 cm. This is translated as 35 inches forwo men and 40 inches for men. Typically, with skin fold calipers a body fat32% for women and 25% for men are indicators of obesity as well (ACSM Resource Manual, 2009).