Obesity Rates Continues to Rise in the United States

Findings from two studies by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the US continues to increase. Both reports are published in the October 9th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The findings portend burgeoning rates of medical complications such as heart disease and stroke, Dr. Cynthia L. Ogden, lead author of one of the reports, told Reuters Health.

In a study of nearly 5000 US children, Dr. Ogden’s team found that more than 15% of 6- to 19-year-olds were overweight in 1999-2000, compared with about 11% in 1998-1994.

The prevalence of overweight rose to 10% from about 7% among children 2 to 5 years of age. Hardest hit were black and Mexican-American adolescents, in whom the rate of overweight increased more than 10%.

A similar trend was observed in a second study involving more than 4000 US adults. Overall, 31% of people in 1999-2000 were obese, compared with 23% in 1998-1994.

Rates of overweight rose to nearly 65% of adults from 56%, while rates of extreme obesity increased to nearly 5% from 3%. Black women and people with lower educational levels were more likely to be morbidly obese, according to the report.

While weight gain was noted in all age, gender, and ethnic groups, obesity and overweight rates were highest among non-Hispanic black women. Half of black women, 40 years and older, were obese and more than 80% were overweight, according to the report by Dr. Katherine M. Flegal and colleagues, from the CDC.

The authors cite several factors that may be to blame for rising rates of overweight and obesity. For one, physical activity has declined with technological advances, such as computers and television. Dining in restaurants, where portions are large, and the fear of crime in some neighborhoods, which keeps people housebound, may also be to blame.

“Obesity is a complex health issue and underlying factors such as our lifestyles, the environment in which we live, and genetics play a role,” Dr. Ogden said.

Regardless of the reasons, the increasing rates of overweight and obesity among children and adults point to higher rates of chronic disorders such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, certain cancers, arthritis, and a host of other medical conditions that are life-threatening and expensive to treat.

Of particular concern is the potential surge in the rate of type 2 diabetes, especially among minorities. Blacks and Hispanics are more apt to be overweight and impaired glucose tolerance is common among children who are very obese, the researchers explain.

“The increase in the prevalence of obesity is clear. The potential health benefits from reduction in overweight and obesity are a matter of considerable public health importance,” Dr. Flegal and colleagues conclude.

JAMA 2002;288:1723-1732,1772-1773.