The portion of Americans who are overweight or obese is growing, with three-fourths of men and two-thirds of women in those categories, say two researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine. “Overweight and obesity are associated with various chronic conditions,” say Graham Colditz and Lin Yang in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. “These conditions are considerable health care and social burdens, yet could potentially be averted by preventing weight gain and obesity.”
In their research, Colditz and Yang analyzed data from 15,208 men and women, gathered in a routine federal survey for the years 2007-12, and compared it to a similar analysis 20 years ago. Their findings “suggest that more than two thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese,” says JAMA Network. When extrapolated to cover the U.S. adult population, the research indicates 67.6 million men and women are obese compared to 65.2 million who are overweight.
“This marks the first time that Americans who are obese outnumber those who are overweight,” said the Washington Post. Twenty years ago, 63 percent of men and 55 percent of women were overweight or obese. Now, it’s 75 percent of men and 67 percent of women, “a depressing sign that campaigns to get Americans to eat healthier and exercise more may be failing,” said the Post.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says obesity can lead to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer, with an estimated cost of $147 billion in medical costs a year. Obesity rates are highest among middle-aged adults.
Health officials routinely urge Americans to exercise regularly and to watch their diets to avoid weight gain.