Over 40% of the population is obese, an increase since 2016, according to a new government survey.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey found that 42% of people are obese, 9% severely so. Both rates are higher than results shown in a similar 2015-16 CDC survey.
Dr. William Dietz, a George Washington University obesity expert, told the Associated Press that a rising obesity rate is likely to increase diabetes, heart disease, and cancer rates, making it more difficult for doctors to deliver effective care.
“How’s a provider going to do that? Severe obesity really requires very intensive therapy,” Dietz said.
Obesity does not mean a person is just overweight. It means the person is so severely overweight that it will lead to negative or even fatal health effects. The study’s authors said the rate of obesity in the United States has increased considerably since the CDC began conducting the study.
“Over the time period from 1999 to 2018, the obesity prevalence increased about 12% — from 30.5% of Americans to 42.4% of Americans,” study author Dr. Craig Hales at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics said, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Obesity is determined using the body mass index, which shows a healthy weight compared to a person’s height. For instance, a healthy BMI for a person who is 5 feet, 5 inches tall is within the range of 19-24. By this metric, a person who is 5 feet, 10 inches tall is considered obese when he or she reaches 210 lbs.
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