How Big Of A Problem Is Obesity In America?
Obesity is a serious issue in the United States. In fact, many experts believe it has become a nationwide epidemic. The incidence of obesity among American adults has increased dramatically in recent years. For instance, in 1991, only 12% of adults were obese. But by the year 2001, almost 21 percent of American adults were obese. This indicates an increase of 75%. Because this data is based on self-reported height and weight information, it’s likely that the nation’s true obesity rates are even higher. In 1999, a study performed by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, found that approximately 30% of American adults are obese and an additional 34% are considered overweight. According to these estimates, only 35% of American adults are at or below a healthy weight. The number of Americans who are morbidly obese is also growing at an alarming rate. Morbid obesity is defined as being one hundred pounds or more overweight. According to the latest research, about one man in
