Would you like to supersize that? It’s a simple question asked to patrons at many national fast food chains. It’s actually quite a deal, for cents more you can increase the amount of food and drink you are given. What if by increasing the amount of food you were eating actually increased your chances of developing severe health issues? A person’s risk for developing many life-threatening health conditions can be measured by how much excess fat is stored in their fat cells. The United States has had an influx in the number of individuals who are overweight; could ‘supersizing’ be to blame? While there are other causes for weight gain, increased portion sizes combined with inactivity have had a direct effect on the growing obesity cases.

Obesity is a condition in which an individual’s body accumulates and stores more fat than what is considered healthy. To determine the amount of fat stored in a person’s body, a Body Mass Index (BMI) number is calculated. The formula for determining a person’s BMI is the weight (in pounds) divided by the height (in inches) squared multiplying that number by a conversion factor of 703. For example, to determine the BMI number for a person who weighs 150 pounds and is 65 inches tall, the formula would be: [150 ÷ (65) 2] x 703 = 24.96. A BMI range of under 18.5 is considered underweight, the normal range is between 18.5 and 24.9, while 25 29.9 is considered overweight, finally a BMI score of 30 and above is categorized as obese. (CDC, About BMI for Adults, 2009) The BMI calculations are only one small part in determining a person’s health risks in relation to weight issues. This calculation does not take into account the difference between muscle and fat weight, so it is possible for someone to receive a higher BMI number but not have a high body-fat content because of muscle weight. It is important to take this into account when calculating one’s body mass index number. One of the first actions taken by a technician when a patient is seen by a physician is they are asked to step on a scale. Then they are either asked how tall they are, or are physically measured. It is not a coincidence that these are the two measurements needed to calculate an individual’s body mass index. The BMI ranges are based on a documented relationship between body weight, disease and death and are used as a tool to identify increased risk for diseases and health conditions.

Obesity is a contributing factor for several severe health conditions and diseases, most of which have proven to be life-threatening. These conditions include hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis, and some cancers to include endometrial, breast and, colon cancer. Even though being overweight contributes directly to the development of such severe health problems, the rates of diagnosed cases of obesity have steadily increased over the past two decades. (CDC, Overweight and Obesity, 2007)

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, “during the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States.” (2007) The CDC collected information on the rise in obesity through the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, (BRFSS). In 1985, the CDC had gathered data for only 21 states which showed no more than 14% of each state’s population diagnosed with obesity. In 2008, the CDC collected data on all 50 states; of which Colorado he