• Ending Childhood Hunger by 2015
  • Seven Essential Strategies
  • Campaign to End Childhood Hunger
• Building Economic Security
  • SNAP/Food Stamps Provide Real Stimulus
• Fighting Obesity and Hunger
  • Overweight and Obesity Definitions
  • Overweight and Obesity in the U.S.
  • Overweight and Obesity State and Local Data
  • Consequences of Adult Overweight and Obesity
  • Consequences of Childhood Overweight and Obesity
  • Factors Contributing to Overweight and Obesity
  • Relationship Between Poverty and Overweight or Obesity
  • Relationship Between Hunger and Overweight or Obesity
  • Why Low-Income and Food Insecure People are Vulnerable to Overweight and Obesity
  • Role of the Federal Nutrition Programs in Combating Overweight and Obesity
  • Additional Resources
  • References - Fighting Obesity and Hunger
• Addressing Senior Hunger
  • Seniors and SNAP/Food Stamps
  • Improving Participation among Seniors

Overweight and Obesity Definitions

Body mass index (BMI) – a reliable indicator of excess body fat for most children, adolescents, and adults – is used to classify someone as underweight, at a healthy weight, overweight, or obese. For children and adolescents, BMI is compared to growth charts that show BMIs for different ages and genders.

BMI is calculated from an individual’s height and weight using the following formula:
BMI (kg/m²) = [weight in pounds / (height in inches x height in inches)] x 703

BMI Classifications for Adults:

• Underweight: BMI < 18.5 kg/m²
• Healthy weight: BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m²
• Overweight: BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m²
• Obese: BMI >/= 30 kg/m²

BMI Classifications for Children and Adolescents:

• Underweight: BMI-for-age < 5th percentile
• Healthy weight: BMI-for-age >/= 5th percentile to < 85th percentile
• Overweight: BMI-for-age >/= 85th percentile to < 95th percentile
• Obese: BMI-for-age >/= 95th percentile