About 40% of US Adults are Obese

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention findings come from a 2017-18 health survey that measures height and weight. More than 5,000 U.S. adults took part. The survey found that the obesity rate was 42% - higher than the 40% found in a similar 2015-16 study. The severe obesity rate was more than 9% in the new survey, up from the 8% figure in the previous one.

It's clear that adult obesity rates are trending up, said the CDC's Cynthia Ogden, one of the report's authors.

A half-century ago, about 1 in 100 American adults were severely obese. Now it's 10 times more common. The obesity rate has risen about 40% in the last two decades. The findings suggest that more Americans will get diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

It also will be increasingly difficult for doctors to care for so many severely obese people. It is estimated that on average, every primary care doctor treating adults has about 100 severely obese patients.

The CDC did not report new obesity numbers for kids and teens. That may come out later this year, Ogden said. In 2015-16, 18.5% of kids and teens were obese and just under 6% were severely obese.

CDC faulted the government for not pushing for more measures to promote physical activity and better eating. Building more sidewalks and passing a national tax on sugary beverages could make a big difference.

Obesity - which means not merely overweight, but seriously overweight - is considered one of the nation's leading public health problems.

It is measured by the body mass index, or BMI, a figure calculated from a person's weight and height. A BMI of 25 or greater is considered overweight, a BMI of 30 and above is obese, and a BMI of 40 or above is severely obese.

A person who is 5-foot-4, the average height for U.S. women, is considered obese at a weight of 174 pounds and severely obese above 232 pounds. A person who is 5-foot-9, about the average height for men, is deemed obese at 203 pounds and severely obese at 270.

Obesity—which means not merely overweight, but seriously overweight—is considered one of the nation's leading public health problems.

Dr Dariusz J. Nasiek, MD
American Board of Anesthesiology
American Board of Pain Medicine
American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians

Expertise:

• Author of the book “PRP – New Paradigm in Regenerative Medicine”
• Thousands and thousands of procedures performed in the OR
• Hundreds of legal cases represented
• 50s interviews given and articles written 
• Dozens of seminars conducted

Uniqueness:

• The only practice of neurology and interventional pain dedicated 100% to helping accidents victim