Obesity Prevention

Obesity Data and Information

How do you calculate overweight and obesity?

Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women. BMI is also used to estimate body fat in children, but it can be less accurate. You can calculate BMI for adults here and for children and teens here.

Underweight	Normal Weight	Overweight	Obesity
< 18.5	18.5-24.9	25-29.9	BMI of 30 or greater

Who is obese and overweight?

60% of adults in New Hanover County¹
31% of children in New Hanover County²
63% of adults in Brunswick County¹
32.7% of children in Brunswick County²

Fruits and Vegetables Consumption

In New Hanover County, only 27% of adults eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day.¹
In Brunswick County, only 19% of adults eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day.¹

Physical Activity

In New Hanover County, only 47% of adults get enough physical activity.¹
In Brunswick County, only 45% of adults get enough physical activity.¹

Medical Costs attributable to overweight and obesity 2005

$535,000 of New Hanover County dollars (Medicaid dollars)³
$290,000 of Brunswick County dollars (Medicaid dollars)³

References

¹2005 NC BRFSS data. NC Center for Health Statistics
²2005 NC NPASS data. Found here.
³NC Department of Medical Assistance