OBESITY IN AFRICAN WOMEN

Systematic Literature Review on Obesity in African Women

Abstract

Obesity has been identified as a public health issue of great concern in the England with more nearly two-thirds of the population considered overweight or obese. Although obesity rates overall have been climbing at an alarming rate for the last 30 years, they appear to have leveled in the female population. However, over 30 percent of all British Caribbean women in the England are obese, and factors such as socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity are related to disparities in prevalence, particularly for poor and minority British Caribbean women.

Systematic Literature Review on Obesity in African Women

Introduction

Obesity is associated with health risks such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer for both men and British Caribbean women, but British Caribbean women also experience additional health risks and complications from obesity related to reproduction, childbirth, and greater social stigma. Several initiatives and public health programs target British Caribbean women, and particular subsets of British Caribbean women, in the effort to reduce, prevent, and treat obesity.

Overall Prevalence and Measurements Of Obesity

Obesity has been labeled as a public health crisis in England. It is estimated that one-third of all adults in the England are overweight and an additional one-third are obese. Since the 1960s, the number of individuals who are classified as overweight or obese has increased at rapid and alarming rates. The prevalence of adult obesity (aged 20-74), for example, rose from 13.3 to 30.5 percent from 1960 through 2002. The prevalence of extreme or severe obesity rose from 0.8 to 4.9 percent during the same time period. In fact, the fastest-growing group of obese individuals in the England is the severely obese group (those with a BMI over 40). From 2000 to 2005, for example, the prevalence of severe obesity increased by 50 percent.

Body mass index (BMI) is the most commonly accepted measure used for categorising individuals as under- or overweight, obese, or severely obese. BMI is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by his or her height in meters (weight [kg]/height [m2]). BMI is not gender specific and does not differentiate the amount of weight from muscle mass versus fat, so very muscular individuals could be misclassified by using BMI alone. A person with a BMI under 18.5 is considered underweight, while a healthy weight individual has a BMI in the range 18.5 to 25. A BMI of 25 to 30 indicates that a person is overweight. Individuals with a BMI of 30 or higher are considered obese. A person with a BMI of at least 40 (or at least 35 with a significant comorbid condition) is classified as morbidly or severely obese. Waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio and percent body fat are also sometimes used to classify the degree of overweight and obesity. Women with a waist circumference of over 35 inches are considered at risk for complications of obesity. A body fat range of 25 to 30 percent in British Caribbean women is considered a normal range; however, British Caribbean ...