For all of the talk, obesity rates continue to grow
More than one in three Americans is considered obese, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last January. At 35.7 percent, obesity in the United States is at its highest rate yet.
State-by-state obesity levels have increased from less than 10 percent in 1985 to 25 to 29 percent in 2010.
Colorado, whose obesity rate held at less than 20 percent for nearly two decades (1990-2009), joined the 20 to 24 percent range in 2010. Despite an obesity rate of 21 percent, the centennial state remains the least obese in the nation.
Midwestern and southern states are the nation’s heaviest, with obesity rates of more than 30 percent in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Kentucky. The most obese state is Mississippi, where the obesity rate totals 35 percent.
Pennsylvania’s current obesity rate is 28.6 percent compared to 26.7 percent in 2009.
Also referenced in the report is a National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) that shows obesity rates have more than doubled since the 1960s, from 13.4 percent between 1960 and 1962, to 31.3 percent between 2001 and 2002.
In addition to the CDC’s findings, an HBO documentary that aired last May titled “The Weight of the Nation” showed that 68.8% of Americans are overweight.
The difference between being considered overweight versus obese has to do with body mass index (BMI), a calculation based on height and weight. Individuals with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 are considered overweight, while individuals with a BMI equal or exceeding 30 are categorized as obese. Morbid obesity, people with a BMI equal to or greater than 40, has seen the most rapid increase, as reported in “The Weight of the Nation.”
“What makes me frustrated, bordering on angry, is that this is preventable,” said Jack Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, in the documentary.
“This is not one of those unfortunate acts of nature that we just have to accept as reality.”
Jennifer Kraschnewski, an assistant professor of medicine at Penn State Hershey, attributes much of the phenomenon to social influences and a society that almost promotes weight gain.
“We live in an obesogenic world,” says Kraschnewski. “Research has demonstrated that obesity spreads through social ties. We are likely to look like our colleagues and friends, which further encourages the spread of obesity.”
Studies from the CDC report suggest that socioeconomic status is another contributing factor to obesity rates. Families or individuals with lower incomes or those who live in poorer communities are more likely to be obese than their affluent counterparts.
Of the 10 most obese states in the U.S., nine are among the nation’s poorest.
Kraschnewski cites the conveniences of modern times as another reason for rising obesity rates.
“Our environment is becoming less supportive toward healthy living – less ‘walkable’ [with a] greater availability of unhealthy foods,” she said.
Shiriki Kumanyika, epidemiology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said in the documentary, “How many people in this society are able to maintain a healthy weight? A third or less. Something is wrong with this picture.”
Jody Whipple, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Penn State’s University Health Services, said potential solutions might be “taxing less healthy foods, making communities more navigable by foot and bicycle [and] increasing access to healthier foods.”
While the obesity “epidemic” (as coined by medical professionals) continues to increase among adults, the CDC reported a small decline among low-income preschool children, from 15.2 percent in 2003 to 14.9 percent in 2010.
Much of the reduction is in areas that employ healthy initiatives. The Food Trust in Philadelphia, where child obesity has decreased from 21.5 to 20 percent, distributes healthy foods to underserved areas. Likewise, the Green Cart and Healthy Bucks programs in New York City help lower-income families afford fresh, local produce. Childhood obesity in Los Angeles has also declined, which some experts are attributing to healthier standards implemented toward school snacks.
Whipple noted that residents of safe, economically stable communities tend to be lower in weight.
“We need to focus on environmental changes that can help people live healthier,” Kraschnewski said. “We need to take a public health approach to make it easier to lose weight and overcome the barriers to a healthy lifestyle that currently exist.”
Whipple added that the media and diet industry has put pressure on overweight and obese persons by “advertising unrealistic and unattainable images of what individuals should look like.”
“I would encourage people to make small, attainable goals that are sustainable over time,
she said. “When individuals are obese, they usually didn’t that way over night. It will take time to make changes.”
More than one in three Americans is considered obese, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last January. At 35.7 percent, obesity in the United States is at its highest rate yet.
State-by-state obesity levels have increased from less than 10 percent in 1985 to 25 to 29 percent in 2010.
Colorado, whose obesity rate held at less than 20 percent for nearly two decades (1990-2009), joined the 20 to 24 percent range in 2010. Despite an obesity rate of 21 percent, the centennial state remains the least obese in the nation.
Midwestern and southern states are the nation’s heaviest, with obesity rates of more than 30 percent in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Kentucky. The most obese state is Mississippi, where the obesity rate totals 35 percent.
Pennsylvania’s current obesity rate is 28.6 percent compared to 26.7 percent in 2009.
Also referenced in the report is a National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) that shows obesity rates have more than doubled since the 1960s, from 13.4 percent between 1960 and 1962, to 31.3 percent between 2001 and 2002.
In addition to the CDC’s findings, an HBO documentary that aired last May titled “The Weight of the Nation” showed that 68.8% of Americans are overweight.
The difference between being considered overweight versus obese has to do with body mass index (BMI), a calculation based on height and weight. Individuals with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 are considered overweight, while individuals with a BMI equal or exceeding 30 are categorized as obese. Morbid obesity, people with a BMI equal to or greater than 40, has seen the most rapid increase, as reported in “The Weight of the Nation.”
“What makes me frustrated, bordering on angry, is that this is preventable,” said Jack Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, in the documentary.
“This is not one of those unfortunate acts of nature that we just have to accept as reality.”
Jennifer Kraschnewski, an assistant professor of medicine at Penn State Hershey, attributes much of the phenomenon to social influences and a society that almost promotes weight gain.
“We live in an obesogenic world,” says Kraschnewski. “Research has demonstrated that obesity spreads through social ties. We are likely to look like our colleagues and friends, which further encourages the spread of obesity.”
Studies from the CDC report suggest that socioeconomic status is another contributing factor to obesity rates. Families or individuals with lower incomes or those who live in poorer communities are more likely to be obese than their affluent counterparts.
Of the 10 most obese states in the U.S., nine are among the nation’s poorest.
Kraschnewski cites the conveniences of modern times as another reason for rising obesity rates.
“Our environment is becoming less supportive toward healthy living – less ‘walkable’ [with a] greater availability of unhealthy foods,” she said.
Shiriki Kumanyika, epidemiology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said in the documentary, “How many people in this society are able to maintain a healthy weight? A third or less. Something is wrong with this picture.”
Jody Whipple, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Penn State’s University Health Services, said potential solutions might be “taxing less healthy foods, making communities more navigable by foot and bicycle [and] increasing access to healthier foods.”
While the obesity “epidemic” (as coined by medical professionals) continues to increase among adults, the CDC reported a small decline among low-income preschool children, from 15.2 percent in 2003 to 14.9 percent in 2010.
Much of the reduction is in areas that employ healthy initiatives. The Food Trust in Philadelphia, where child obesity has decreased from 21.5 to 20 percent, distributes healthy foods to underserved areas. Likewise, the Green Cart and Healthy Bucks programs in New York City help lower-income families afford fresh, local produce. Childhood obesity in Los Angeles has also declined, which some experts are attributing to healthier standards implemented toward school snacks.
Whipple noted that residents of safe, economically stable communities tend to be lower in weight.
“We need to focus on environmental changes that can help people live healthier,” Kraschnewski said. “We need to take a public health approach to make it easier to lose weight and overcome the barriers to a healthy lifestyle that currently exist.”
Whipple added that the media and diet industry has put pressure on overweight and obese persons by “advertising unrealistic and unattainable images of what individuals should look like.”
“I would encourage people to make small, attainable goals that are sustainable over time,
she said. “When individuals are obese, they usually didn’t that way over night. It will take time to make changes.”
