The latest stats show obesity rates soaring, as the health of America suffers

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Obesity rates continue to rise in the United States, making the goal of a healthy weight more urgent than ever.
There has been much debate over the 'obesity epidemic' in the United States in recent years. And a new study from Indiana University shows that things are only getting worse with 63 per cent of the population now weighing in as overweight or obese. In 2001, the figure was 58 per cent. What is more, those with excess weight had a significantly increased risk of serious health issues like cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

The study also shows a rise in diabetes from 7.9 per cent to 8.5 per cent of those surveyed. Racial differences were evident too - obesity affects 41 per cent of black women compared to 19 per cent of white women. For women, BMI decreased as education attainment increased - but this was not so for men. The findings suggest that for the sake of the nation's health, it has never been more important to work towards a healthy weight. Indeed, the national Healthy People 2010 plan hopes to reduce the burden of obesity in the USA to less than 15 per cent of the population. That now looks like a very ambitious goal - but hopefully these new data will act as a wake up call and people will take on the healthy weight challenge.

Source
Journal of the National Medical Association August 2006

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