Obesity Among U.S. Adults Continues to Rise; Obesity Prevalence 25 Percent or Higher in 32 States

Write-up by Kari Larson

July 8, 2009 — The proportion of U.S. adults who are obese elevated to 26.1 percent in 2008, compared to 25.6 percent in 2007. The data come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]‘s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Program [BRFSS], a state-based phone survey that collects wellness info from adults aged 18 and over.

In six states — Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia — adult obesity prevalence was 30 percent or far more. Thirty-two states, including those six, had obesity prevalence of 25 percent or much more. Only 1 state, Colorado, had a prevalence of obesity much less than 20 percent. But no state showed a considerable decrease in obesity prevalence from 2007 to 2008.

More than 400,000 U.S. adults were surveyed in the 2008 BRFSS, which is the world’s largest telephone well being survey. To assess obesity prevalence, survey respondents are asked to provide their height and weight, which is used to calculate their body mass index [BMI]. A individual is considered obese if they have a BMI of 30 or above.

“Obesity is a key risk factor for numerous chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and diabetes,” stated Dr. William Dietz, director, CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. “As obesity increases amongst all age groups, we are seeing chronic illnesses in significantly younger adults, compared to a couple of decades ago. For example, we now see young adults who suffer from heart illness risk factors and other conditions, such as form 2 diabetes, that were unheard of in the past.”

The 2008 BRFSS obesity information indicate that none of the 50 states, nor the District of Columbia, has achieved the Wholesome Men and women 2010 goal of lowering obesity prevalence to 15 percent or less.

“The most recent BRFSS survey data show that the obesity issue in this country is acquiring worse,” said Liping Pan, CDC epidemiologist and lead author of the 2008 BRFSS obesity map analysis. “If this trend continues, we will most likely see increases in wellness care costs for obesity-associated diseases.”

For far more information on obesity trends, including an animated map, go to http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html.

SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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