OBESITY IN AMERICA
PREVALENCE
• Obesity is a life-threatening disease affecting 34% of adults in the U.S.; 68% of adults are either overweight or obese
• Between 2000 and 2005, obesity (BMI ≥30) increased by 24%, morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 40) increased by 50% and super obesity (BMI ≥ 50) increased by 75%3
• In 2008, only one state (Colorado) had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-two states had a prevalence equal to or greater than 25%; six of these states (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia) had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 30%4 COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY
• Obesity-related health spending costs the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $147 billion annually, double what it was a decade ago and amounting to nearly 10% of medical spending
• Obese individuals spend 40% more on health care than individuals of normal weight
• Lost productivity related to obesity among Americans ages 17 to 64 costs $3.9 billion a year
• Diseases associated with obesity account for 27% of the increases in medical costs since 1987;8 spending related to diabetes alone totals $190 billion a year
OBESITY IN CHILDREN/TEENS
• As of 2007, 32% of children aged 10-17 in the U.S. are overweight and 16% are obese; childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years1
• As of 2006, 11% of preschoolers ages 2 to 5, 15% of children ages 6 to 11 and 18% of adolescents ages 12 to 19 are overweight;1 as of 2004, 4% of children age 2-19 are considered severely obese1
• Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. This increases to 80% if a parent is overweight or obese
• One in five American 4-year-olds are considered obese and the rate is higher among American Indian children, with nearly a third of them obese
• A study of 5- to 17-year-olds found that 70% of obese children had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease and 39% of obese children had at least two risk factors
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO OBESITY
• Genetics: According to the National Institute of Health, several studies have shown that adopted children have weights closer to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents
• Metabolism: The resting metabolic rate (RMR) – the energy needed to keep the body functioning at rest – can vary substantially from one person to another, which may help explain why some people gain weight quicker than others and find it more difficult to lose weight
• Culture: Foods specific to certain cultures can contribute to obesity. Research also shows that individuals
originally from other countries have difficulty adjusting to the calorie-rich foods offered in the U.S.
• Illness: Hypothyroidism, Cushing’s Syndrome and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome are a few of the medical conditions that are associated with weight gain
• Environment: Lifestyle, dietary habits and physical activity have a particularly strong influence on the likelihood of being or becoming obese
• Psychological issues: Many people overeat or binge to suppress emotions or escape from problems
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY
• Morbid obesity is associated with more than 30 illnesses and medical conditions including: Type 2 diabetes,
coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension and cancer. Other conditions include: asthma, osteoarthritis, joint
degeneration, cirrhosis of the liver, venous stasis disease, infertility, pregnancy complications, gastroesophageal
reflux disease (GERD), chronic headaches, liver disease, sleep apnea, lower back pain and urinary incontinence
• Obesity is associated with 112,000 excess U.S. deaths each year;14 obese individuals have a 10 to 50% increased
risk of death compared to individuals of healthy weight7
WEIGHT CLASSIFICATIONS FOR ADULTS
• Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most common measurement tool to assess body fat, calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters, squared:
Weight in kilograms
Height in meters
• Super obese: A person with a BMI of 50 or more o 50,000 adults are super obese in the U.S.
• Morbidly obese: A person with a BMI of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35 or more with an obesity-related disease, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease or sleep apnea
o 15 million adults are morbidly obese in the U.S.
• Obese: A person with a BMI of 30 – 39.9
o 64 million adults are obese in the U.S.
• Overweight: A person with a BMI of 25 – 29.9
o 134 million adults are overweight or obese in the U.S.
OBESITY IN AMERICA
