Behavior Change and Health News
United States Obesity Epidemic: Still on the Rise
A July 18 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers little evidence that the obesity epidemic is over. In fact, there was a 2 percent increase between 2005 and 2007 in the number of U.S. adults who are considered obese. An individual is considered obese if his or her body mass index (BMI) is 30.0 or greater. In 2005, 23.9 percent of adults reported being obese, but that number jumped to 25.6 percent in 2007.
Dr. William Dietz, director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, stated, “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. 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."
The states with the highest percentage of obese adults are found in the southern part of the United States: Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Approximately 30 percent of these states’ residents reported being obese, while only 18.7 percent of Colorado adults reported being obese. Unfortunately, none of the states or the District of Columbia meets the Healthy People 2010 goal of reducing prevalence of obesity to 15 percent or less.
According to the CDC report, 27 percent of residents in the South were obese compared to 25.3 percent in the Midwest, 23.3 percent in the Northeast, and 22.1 percent in the West. Non-Hispanic black women had the highest prevalence of obesity at 39.0 percent, and non-Hispanic black men had a prevalence rate of 32.1 percent.
"Obesity is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. These diseases can be very costly for states and the country as a whole," Deb Galuska, associate director for science at the CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, said in a news release.
Data for the study were collected from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a survey that collects a variety of information, including physical activity and nutrition behaviors, on over 350,000 adults via telephone interviews.
Do you work with people who are interested in losing weight and reducing their risks for chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease? Are they looking for ways to become physically active and eat a healthier diet? If so, Active Living Every Day and Healthy Eating Every Day are the ideal programs for them. Active Living Every Day is an evidence-based behavior change program that helps people recognize the reasons behind their physical inactivity so they can become and stay more physically active. Healthy Eating Every Day helps adults assess their current dietary patterns and learn ways to improve their diets. Both programs use evidence-based behavior change tools such as learning to set short- and long-term goals, identifying barriers, and overcoming relapses to help people maintain healthy behaviors. Please contact Bhibha Das at 800-747-4457 ext. 2455 for more information about the programs.
Source:
HealthDay. July 17, 2008. U.S. Obesity Epidemic Continues to Grow .
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