Latest CDC Data Show More Americans Report Being Obese

19 July 2008

More than a quarter of all Americans are now obese. According to US government's the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the percentage of US adults who are now obese grew by nearly 2 per cent between 2005 and 2007, from just under 24 per cent to 25.6 per cent.

The report also finds that none of the 50 states or the District of Columbia has achieved the 'healthy people 2010' goal to reduce obesity prevalence to 15 per cent or less.

Obesity is defined as having a body mass index or BMI of 30 or above. BMI is calculated using height and weight. For example, a 5-foot, 9-inch tall adult who weighs 203 pounds (92 kg) would have a BMI of 30. BMI takes into account variations in build for all but the most heavily muscled athletes.

CDC's report said In three states – Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee – the prevalence of self-reported obesity among adults age 18 or older was above 30 per cent. Colorado had the lowest obesity prevalence at 18.7 per cent. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above. BMI is calculated using height and weight. For example, a 5-foot, 9-inch adult who weighs 203 pounds would have a BMI of 30, thus putting this person into the obese category.

The data were derived from CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a state-based telephone survey that collects information from adults aged 18 years and older. For this survey more than 350,000 adults are interviewed each year, making BRFSS the largest telephone health survey in the world. BMI was calculated based on this self-reported information.

''The epidemic of adult obesity continues to rise in the United States indicating that we need to step up our efforts at the national, state and local levels,'' said Dr. William Dietz, director of CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. ''We need to encourage people to eat more fruits and vegetables, engage in more physical activity and reduce the consumption of high calorie foods and sugar sweetened beverages in order to maintain a healthy weight.''