Download Reproductive Complications

The Burden of Obesity in
North Carolina
Obesity-Related Chronic Disease
Obesity-Related Chronic Disease

More than half (53%) of all deaths of North
Carolinians are preventable.

Overweight and obesity are significantly
associated with diabetes, high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis, and poor
health status.

Inadequate fruits and vegetables, lack of leisure
time physical activity, obesity, and overweight
make up 80% of N.C.’s risk factor or behaviors.
Preventable Causes of Death in N.C.
Preventable Causes of Death
in North Carolina (2007)
Tobacco Use
13,720
Diet/Physical Inactivity
12,583
2,653
Alcohol Consumption
2,350
Microbial Agents
Toxic Agents
1,743
Medical Error
1,516
Motor Vehicles
1,364
Firearms
910
Uninsurance
758
Unsafe Sex
606
Illicit Drug Use
531
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000 12,000 14,000 16,000
Estimated Number of deaths
State Center for Health Statistics, North Carolina Department of Health and Human
Services, (2007).
The Burden of Obesity in
North Carolina
Reproductive Complications
Pregnancy Risk Assessment
Monitoring System (PRAMS)

A surveillance system used by CDC and state health
departments to collect state-specific, population-based
data on maternal attitudes and experiences before,
during, and shortly after pregnancy.

Process of administering PRAMS:




The PRAMS sample of women who have had a recent live birth
is drawn from the state's birth certificate file.
Each participating state samples between 1,300 and 3,400
women per year.
Women from some groups are sampled at a higher rate to
ensure adequate data are available in smaller but higher risk
populations.
Selected women are first contacted by mail. If there is no
response to repeated mailings, women are contacted and
interviewed by telephone.
Reproductive Complications
 There
is evidence linking obesity to early
pregnancy and recurrent pregnancy loss.
 Among
obese pregnant women, the risk of
developing pregnancy-related
hypertension and diabetes is significantly
greater than it is among women with lower
BMIs.
Percentage of NC Mothers
Obesity Among N.C. Mothers
Trends in the Percentage of N.C. Overweight or
Obese Mothers (1997-2005)
50
40
34%
39%
41%
2000-2002
2003-2005
30
20
10
0
1997-1999
Source: North Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Survey Data. N.C. State Center for Health
Statistics (1997-1999, 2000-2002, 2003-2005)
Obesity Among N.C. Mothers
Trends in the Percentage of N.C. Obese PrePregnancy Mothers by Race (1997-2005)
Percentage of Mothers
50
40
30
21%
20
28%
25%
14%
16%
18%
2000-2002
2003-2005
10
0
1997-1999
White
African American
Source: North Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Survey Data. N.C. State Center for
Health Statistics (1997-1999, 2000-2002, 2003-2005)
Reproductive Complications –
Mothers and Babies

Obese women are more likely to become diabetic,
hypertensive, and develop pre-eclampsia during their
pregnancies.

Infants of obese women are at elevated risk of neural
tube defects such as spina bifida and other fetal
abnormalities, as well as still birth and neonatal death.

Infants born to obese mothers are not only at risk of
being of high birth weight (>9.9 lbs), but are at higher
risk of developing metabolic syndrome.