4.04 Obesity

This page includes data that provide two perspectives on obesity. The first data set, from Community Health Survey Reports for each county and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), includes the percentage of adults reporting a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0 or greater in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. BMI is calculated as weight (in kilograms) divided by height squared (in meters). For adults, a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 indicates the individual is overweight, whereas a BMI of 30.0 or greater indicates obesity. The BRFSS is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services in conjunction with the CDC. The second data set, from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, includes the prevalence of obesity in children ages 2 to 4 who are enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Obesity in children age 2 and older is defined as having a BMI greater than the 95th percentile, based on the CDC age- and sex-specific BMI reference. WIC is a federal assistance program for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or postpartum, and children under age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk.