Americans have reached a a big milestone, and not in a good way. A new report in JAMA Internal Medicine found that the number of obese Americans now outnumbers those who are merely overweight.
Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to come to their conclusion. According to their findings, about 68 million Americans could be classified as obese, while about 65 million Americans meet the definition for being overweight. Researchers examined Body-Mass Index (BMI) statistics to come to this conclusion.
BMI uses a person’s height and weight to calculate a score:
- A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal.
- A BMI between 25-29.9 is considered overweight.
- A BMI over 30 is considered obese.
Study Findings
Additional findings from the NHANES study found:
- Women were more likely to be obese than overweight (37% to 30%, respectively).
- Two out of three U.S. women were above a normal weight.
- Men were more likely to be overweight than obese (40% to 35%, respectively).
- Three out of four men were above a normal weight.
- African Americans had the highest rate of obesity among both men (39%) and women (57%). Mexican-Americans came in second, as 38% of men and 43% of women were classified as obese, while whites came in at 35% for men and 37% for women.
- Obesity rates were consistent among younger adults (24-54) and older adults (55 and up).
Being obese or overweight puts people at risk for a number of chronic health conditions, like high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
“This is a wake-up call to implement policies and practices designed to combat overweight and obesity,” said study co-author Lin Yang, a research associate in Washington University’s Prevention Research Center.
Dr. Silverman Comments
This is an ugly milestone for Americans. Our waistlines have been expanding for a number of reasons. We’re becoming more sedentary, we’re eating more junk food and we have been adding more sugar to our diet.
Doctors can only do some much. We can tell you all the risks, but at some point, you have to make a point to pursue a healthier lifestyle. It’s not just going to happen on its own.
Related Source: LA Times