Obesity
- Within 20 years, the percent of obese adult women has increased significantly:
- 1988-1994: 25.5% obese
- 2009-2012: 35.9% obese
Heart Disease
- More than 50 million women are currently living with some form of cardiovascular disease.
- Millions of women are currently living with coronary heart disease (CHD).
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death of women.
The Risks
- Obesity is a major risk factor for heart cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is associated with 13% of CVD deaths in adults.
- Between 1971 and 2004 total energy consumption for adult women has increased by 22%, compared to a 10% increase in adult men.
- 44.9% of adult women have total cholesterol of at least 200mg/dL.
- 31.7% of women do not engage in leisure time physical activity.
- 18.5% of adults who are obese also have diabetes. The greater a person’s BMI (Body Mass Index), the greater their risk of having diabetes.