Headlines fret about the growing obesity epidemic, but what does it mean? How did it happen? And what are the costs?
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Posted 02.24.2009 at 1:50 pm
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OBESITY IN AMERICA
State Lines
Obesity, defined as a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, is not equally distributed across the U.S. Check out this map to find out which state is the fattest (hint: it's the namesake of mud pie), which is the thinnest (think Coors Light), and which spends the most money on obesity-related health care (its governor pumps iron).
Read on, after the break, for more of America's (and the world's) fat facts.
Hit the Ceiling?: After a quarter-century rise, obesity prevalence has not increased since 2004. Still, 72 million adults (34%) are obese. Efforts are under way to reduce this to 15%, a level not seen since 1980.
Big Little Kids: Obesity rates in Americans ages 12 to 19 have more than tripled since 1980.
COUNTING THE CALORIES
Fat Happy Meals: Children should consume only around 1,300 calories a day, or about 430 calories per meal. But kiddie combos at most top fast-food chains far exceed that recommended limit. One meal- chicken fingers, cinnamon apples and chocolate milk from Chili's- delivers 1,020 calories. Here, the percentage of meals on kids' menus that exceeds the 430-calorie limit.
How Many Calories Does the Average American Consume Each Day?: We eat more than we need. Although the average person requires 2,000 calories a day, by one estimate Americans consume 3,766.
THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD
Obese and Overweight Adults by Country: Believe it or not, the U.S. isn't the most obese country on the planet (we're sixth). We're not even the most overweight (defined as a BMI of 25 to 29.9). Here, the top eight countries in each category: obese or overweight.
THE PERSONAL COST OF FAT
Trouble at Work
Obese workers cost employees more in medical, disability, and workers'-compensation claims.
The Bill: What an average firm with 1,000 employees faces per year in extra costs associated with obesity
Discrimination: Percent of American adults who have reported weight discrimination
The Hidden Toll:
- Overweight people earn less than the non-overweight in a comparable job.
- Obese elementary-school children miss more days of school than their peers.
- Obese adolescent girls are less likely to attend college then their non-obese peers.
- Every year, there are nearly 112,000 obesity-related deaths in the U.S.
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Um, hello? According to the graphic on Pg3 the US is 34% Obese and 66% Overweight.... that's 100%! That just isn't possible. Am I in the 0% category of regular weight people? I highly doubt that. I call BS!
and how come French Polynesia gets to have 115%?
spottedmarley, last time i checked being obese meant you were overweight, but being overweight doesn't necessarily mean you're obese. you don't add the two percentages together idiot.
spottedmarley is right. On pg. 1, "obesity" is defined as a BMI of 30+, and on pg. 3 "overweight" is defined as BMI of 25-29.9. The math on the pg. 3 graphic seems to say that 100% of the U.S. has a BMI of 25 or more.
For as damning an article as this is, it would be awfully nice to see references to the source data.
I'm having a real credibility problem here.
Is Popsci going to respond to this?
I'm surprised to find Israel on the list of countries with wide-spread weight problems. I've been told by a resident that one sees far fewer overweight individuals in Israel than in America. These statistics seem unusual in a country with mandatory military service.
Hey Everyone,
The sources for this article are:
"Obesity Trends among U.S. Adults between 1985 and 2007," CDC; "Overweight and Obesity: Economic Consequences," CDC; Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, CDC; Global Database on Body Mass Index, WHO; "Obesity among Adults in the United States-- No Statistically Significant Change Since 2003-2004," CDC; National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; "Kids' Meals: Obesity on the Menu," Center for Science in the Public Interest; "Weight Bias: The Need for Public Policy" and "Economic Impact of Obesity," Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University, "Excess Deaths Associated with Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity," JAMA.
Interesting question on the percentages. I would think that obese counts as overweight as well, and thus they overlap, but I'll ask our print editors what's up and get back to you.
Thanks for your comments and questions!
Taylor Hengen
Digital Content Manager
PopSci.com
So, I asked the editor who brought this piece to life, and she said that obese is indeed a subset of overweight. Anyone with a BMI that is between 25 and 29.9 is actually considered "pre-obese." You guys are right that it's a little unclear in the content, but this is indeed the way it breaks down.
Thanks!
Taylor Hengen
PopSci.com
I dont exactly trust the information with the kids meals there. In most of those "dinners" there are several choices to make, which will affect the actual calorie count of the meal. Not the least of which is the drink. Milk is almost never chosen in these studies. From what I have seen anyways.
I think for the kids meals numbers are given for a maximum amount of calories you can get out of every meal