Answer To Your Fitness Questions" />US Obesity Epidemic Continues To Grow
July 17, 2008
25.6 percent of adults were reported being obese in 2007, compared to 23.9 percent in 2005, according to the July issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
“The epidemic of adult obesity continues to rise in the United States, indicating that we need to step up our efforts at the national, state and local levels,” said Dr. William Dietz, Director of CDC’s division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. “We need to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables, engage in more physical activity and reduce the consumption of high-calorie foods and sugar-sweetened beverages in order to maintain a healthy weight.”
The percentage of adults who are obese varies from demographic to demographic. In terms of age, those 50-59 years old, 30.2 percent of women and 31.7 percent of men were obese. Those 19 to 29, 19.1 percent of men and women struggled with obesity.
The differences by sex and race/ethnicity, obesity prevalence was highest for non-Hispanic black women (39 percent) and men (32 percent).
Interestingly enough, education also played a role too. For men who had graduated college saw the lowest levels of obesity at 22 percent and highest among those who only graduated high school at 29 percent. For women, obesity prevalence was also lowest among college graduates (17 percent) and highest among those with less than a high school diploma (32 percent).
The “Healthy People 2010″ goal to reduce the prevalence of obesity to 15 percent or less has not been met by any of the states or the District of Columbia according to the CDC.
“Obesity is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. These diseases can be very costly for states and the country as a whole,” said Deb Galuska, associate director at the DCD’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity.
The CDC uses the body mass index of 30 or above (BMI, a math-based ratio of weight to height) to determine obesity.   For example, an adult who is 5-feet, 9-inches tall is considered obese if he or she weighs 203 pounds. Although the BMI can be accurate, one must consider body composition to be the main measurement of obesity.
“These data from the CDC confirm that the epidemic of obesity continues to spread, whether looking at population trends in the short or long-term,” stated Howard D. Sesso, a professor of medicie at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Although American’s seem to be putting forth greater effort to maintain a healthy lifestyle, the potential of meeting the “Health People 2010″ goal for obesity doesn’t seem all that likely, Sesso said. “This report highlights the need not only to outright prevent the development of obesity over the life-course, but also to improve efforts to reduce body weight in those already classified as obese,” he said.
Related Posts
Physical Activity Reduces The Risk For Obesity
THURSDAY September 11, 2008--Researchers all over the world are trying to come together to really find out what we can do to have a healthy body and b...
Pregnant Obese Women More At Risk Physically And Financially
FRIDAYÂ April 4, 2008-A new study shows that not only does obesity increase the likelihood of complications during pregnancy, but also heightens finan...
Poor Sleep Linked To High Blood Pressure In Teens
TUESDAY August 19,2008--A new study shows that teens who don't sleep enough run the risk of elevated blood pressure.
"It's the very first study to ...
Less Sleep While Your Young Could Result In Higher Risk For Obesity
TUESDAY April 8, 2008--Study shows that children who receive less that 12 hours of sleep are twice as likely of being obese as preschoolers.
Dr Els...
What States Are The Most Obese In The United States?
THURSDAY July 10, 2008--Mississippi is officially the most obese state in the USA, with 30.1% of the population being obese. That averages out to Â...
How Recovery Time Actually Makes You Stronger
Did you know that working out makes you weaker, and rest/recovery makes you stronger? At the end of your workout of course, you are weaker than when...
Comments
Got something to say?
