Obesity epidemic could be stabilizing
Americans are fat. We've known this for years. But new research suggests that the obesity rate -- while still high -- might be slowing.
About a third of adults were obese in 2007-2008, but the rate appears to be leveling off after decades of surging obesity rates, certainly for women and probably for men, according to a new study appearing today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study of 5,555 men and women 20 and older found no difference in obesity levels for women from the 2007-2008 survey period to another survey done in 1999. For men, the most recent data was unchanged from estimates from 2003-2004.
In children, a separate analysis of 3,281 kids 2 through 19, found the rates of obesity also were slowing. That study is also appearing in today's JAMA. Both the child and adult studies were done by researchers from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.
Sure this is encouraging news, but it's no cause for celebration, warns an accompanying editorial. Both rates are too high. Even if trends stay the same, some 68 percent of adults are overweight or obese and nearly 32 percent of school aged kids are at or above the 85th percentile of body mass index.
"Given the risk of obesity-related major health problems, a massive public health campaign to raise awareness about the effects of overweight and obesity is necessary," writes Dr. J. Michael Gaziano, a contributing JAMA editor. "The longer the delay in taking aggressive action, the higher the likelihood that the significant progress achieved in decreasing chronic disease rates during the last 40 years will be negated, possible even with a decrease in life expectancy."
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Comments
It is stabilizing because we are FINALLY realizing that most of the people who are obese are that way because of genetic factors, NOT because they overeat.
For goodness sakes, I know some people who can eat an ENTIRE pizza every day, and not gain an ounce.
I know others who can just LOOK at a piece of cake and put on 10 pounds.
It's all genetics, and we need to STOP with the blame game and instead look for a way to correct the genetic flaws that obese people have.
Posted by: Abresh | January 14, 2010 2:05 AM
It's funny how this report says that obesity levels are plateauing when another recent study (using the same NHANES data) found that while the levels of "overweight" are plateauing, the levels of obesity show no sign of leveling off
Link to the research - http://www.healthhabits.ca/2010/01/14/is-america-as-fat-as-it-can-get/
Posted by: Aaron | January 14, 2010 4:20 PM
GENETICS are GOD given;
why try to change those and not do
something about the poor excuse for
FOOD subjected to the American diet
by "scientific corporations"!?
The worst of this "food' can be found
unfortunately at your local food bank!
Again, stop blaming humans for other
"human's' wrong-doing!!
Posted by: LPCD | January 18, 2010 8:52 AM