6.7: Weighing in on the U.S.

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Page ID: 11166

Flynn et al.
Georgia Highlands College via GALILEO Open Learning Materials

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Despite the well-known health concerns implicated in overweight and obesity and the availability of multiple methods for assessment and tools to improve body composition, current trends in the United States and around the world are moving in the wrong direction. The unprecedented number of obese Americans has led experts to label it an epidemic, much like they would a disease in a developing country. According to the CDC, the number of American adults (>20 years) that fall into the overweight classification based on BMI are 70.7%. Of those, 37.9% fall within the obese classification. In 1962, the overweight and obesity rates for adults in the U.S. were 32% and 13%, respectively. In other words, overweight trends have more than doubled and obesity rates have almost tripled over the past 50+ years.¹²

Of more concern are the increasing number of obese children ages 6-11 and adolescents ages 12-19, amounting to 17.4% and 20.6%, respectively.¹³ While those numbers have stabilized over the past decade, this has led to a dramatic increase in insulin resistance, a form of diabetes formerly known as adult onset diabetes.

With such a diverse population in the U.S. and with an understanding of how BMI is calculated, it is only natural to question the high number of overweight and obese citizens based on BMI alone. However, it is generally believed this is an accurate portrayal of weight status. In a study attempting to compare BMI measurements to actual body fat percentage, it was determined that the total number of obese citizens may be underestimated, and its current prevalence may be worse than is currently being reported.