Obesity Trends in America

One-third of adults in the United States were obese as of 2008, according to a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. The most common method of body-fat measurement for classification purposes uses weight in pounds and height in inches to calculate a person’s body mass index, or BMI, score. A score of 30 or above on the BMI chart results in being categorized as “obese."

Causes of Obesity

The CDC calls America an “obesogenic” society, distinguished by a culture that promotes overeating, poor nutrition and total lack of physical activity. Without exception, the underlying cause of obesity is overconsumption of calories relative to an individual’s needs. Even though a calorie is a calorie, it’s easier to become obese on a steady diet of high-calorie, high-fat foods that are devoid of nutrients than it is while eating a diet of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. When combined with a sedentary lifestyle, overconsumption of unhealthy food is a fast route to obesity. Although genetics may play a role for some, behavior is more critical to the obesity equation than genes.

Adult Obesity

Since about 1990, the number of obese adults has increased substantially in the United States. As of 2009, at least 25 percent of the residents in each of 33 states was obese. Of these states, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia were the least healthy, with 30 percent or more of their populations qualifying as obese. Washington, D.C., and the state of Colorado are the only two regions of the United States where obesity’s prevalence is less than 20 percent of the population. Nevertheless, the STOP Obesity Alliance states that as of 2008, the rate of increasing obesity appeared to be slowing.

Childhood Obesity

Since 1980, childhood obesity rates have more than tripled. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2008 found that 17 percent of American children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19 were obese. Childhood obesity rates trended upward between 1976 and 1980, and again between 1999 and 2000. However, from 2007 to 2008, the CDC did not find a significant change in the rampancy of the epidemic, which may signal a leveling off of the trend. The CDC cites several studies that point to a link between childhood and adult obesity, including one study suggesting that obese children younger than 8 years old are more likely to become severely obese adults.

Trends by Ethnicity

As of 2008, obesity among African Americans was 51 percent more common compared to the number of obese Caucasians, while among Hispanics, obesity was 21 percent more prevalent. The widespread presence of overweight and obese Americans of every demographic has been rising consistently. If current trends don’t change, according to the STOP Obesity Alliance, a full 100 percent of American adults will be overweight or obese by 2048. African-American women, 80.5 percent of whom were overweight or obese as of 2006, will hit the 100-percent mark 14 years before the general population, if trends stay consistent.