Obesity Facts

Facts About Obesity in America and Around the World
The number of obese Americans is increasing at an alarming rate. The facts about obesity in the states indicate that more Americans are over thirty pounds above their target weight for their height. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) began monitoring statistics on obesity during the late 1980’s. The obesity facts have shown a steady increase in the numbers of Americans who are overweight in virtually every state of the union.

When monitoring obesity facts began in 1985 data was available for only 21 states. Of these states, 12 had obesity rates below 10% and 9 states had obesity rates between 10%-14%. These numbers have steadily increased during the past ten years to astonishing levels.

This study used the benchmark of 30 pounds over normal weight for a 5’ 4” person.
Colorado was the only state that revealed that between 15-%-19% of the population was obese according to the parameters of the study. Twenty-one states including Washington D.C. revealed that 20% to 24% of the population was obese. Twenty-seven states found that 24% to 29% of the population was obese. Three states, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, found that a whopping 30% of their population was obese.

The United States is leading the way in obese populations while Mexico is not far behind with 24% of the total population obese. The United Kingdom is third with a 23% obese population. The Slovac Republic, Greece, Australia, New Zealand all have obese populations above 20%, while Hungary and the Czech Republic follow close behind with an obese population between 15% and 19%. Most European countries have obesity rates that are similar to levels found in 1985, while France, Austria, Italy, and Norway have obese populations between 8% to 9% which are well below the 1985 levels recorded in the United States. Only Japan and Korea have a miniscule obese population of 3%.

It is clear that obesity is increasing. The health problems connected to obesity such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and stroke will have a major impact on health care systems around the world. The high cost of health care will increase as health care systems are overburdened by increasing numbers of patients suffering from the ill health resulting from this world wide slide into obesity.

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html
http://miscellanea.wellingtongrey.net/2007/05/06/global-obesity-fatness-by-country/