8.1 Obesity

Heather Paves

8.1.1 Name of Disorder

Overweight and obesity.

8.1.2 Clinical Definition

Overweight is defined as between the 85th and 94th percentiles of body mass index (BMI) for age and gender; obesity is defined as >95th percentile BMI for age and gender on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth grids.

8.1.3 How It Is Diagnosed

Overweight and obesity are as just defined, but their diagnoses also need to take into account BMI trajectory over time, parental obesity, family medical history, current diet, and physical activity behaviors.

8.1.4 Nutritional Implications

More common comorbid conditions include sleep apnea, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, depression, orthopedic conditions, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.