Obesity Statistics in America

Obesity Statistics in America

Obesity in America is so bad that it has been called an epidemic based on the obesity statistics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a person is deemed to be obese if he has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above. Meaning that the person consumes more than what is required by the body. As a result the person would suffer from diabetes, heart disease and metabolic syndrome to name a few. The main causes of obesity are said to be unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle. The main cause of obesity is bad food habit and lack of exercise however, hormonal changes are also at fault.

The obesity statistics are somewhat staggering. It is said that virtually two-thirds of American adults above the age of 20 , that is 66 percent of the population, are said to be obese, according to results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) . From which 33 percent are women and 30 percent are men. Another survey by NHANES shows that the prevalence rates of children aged between 2 to 5 years has increased from 5 percent to 13.9 percent over the last few years. A lot of children too are therefore facing a high risk of being obese. This risk can be seen in another study showing obesity statistics, conducted by CDC which showed that children who are overweight between the ages of 10-15 years are very likely to be obese at the age of 25.

Based on obesity statistics by the National Institutes of Health, obesity is the second leading cause of death that can be prevented, in America. The deaths caused by obesity only becomes secondary to deaths caused by tobacco and right now it is the second most leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 300,000 deaths are said to be caused as a result of obesity each year.As stated earlier, diabetes is very common among those who are obese, particularly type 2 diabetes. 80 percent of those suffering from type 2 diabetes are said to be related to obesity according to obesity statistics by the Wellness International Network Limited.

Looking at these obesity statistics it is clear as to why people refer to the situation in America as a growing epidemic. People should therefore become more aware of their eating and exercising habits and should make an active effort to change their unhealthy lifestyles if they are to prevent these obesity statistics from becoming even worse in the years to come.