Obesity and You

Fact:  Obesity rates are soaring in the U.S.

  • Between 1980 and 2000, obesity rates doubled among adults.  Approximately
  • 70 million adults (30% of adult population) are now obese.
  • Since 1980, overweight rates have doubled among children and tripled among adolescents.
  • Childhood and adolescent obesity add to the number of years they are exposed to health risks of obesity.

Fact: Obesity is already having an adverse impact on young people

  • Type 2 Diabetes – once believed to affect only adults – is now being diagnosed among young people.
  • In some communities almost half of the pediatric diabetes cases are Type 2, when in the past the total was close to zero!  Overweight children with Type 2 Diabetes are at risk of suffering serious complications of diabetes as adults, for example kidney disease, blindness and amputations.
  • 61% of overweight 5-10 year old children already have at least one risk factor for heart disease and 26% have two or more risk factors.

Fact: Most people still do not practice healthy behaviors that can prevent obesity

  • Primary behaviors causing obesity epidemic are preventable:  physical activity and unhealthy diet.
  • Approximately 25% of U.S. adults eat recommended 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
  • Less than 25% of adolescents eat recommended 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
  • More than 50% of American adults do not get recommended amount of physical activity to provide health benefits.
  • More than 1/3 of young people in grades 9-12 do not regularly engage in vigorous physical activity.  Computers have created a society of couch potatoes!

Fact: Obesity-related costs place huge burden on U.S. economy

  • Direct health costs attributable to obesity were estimated at $52 billion in 1995 and $75 billion in 2003.
  • Among children and adolescents, annual hospital costs related to overweight and obesity have more than tripled over the past 2 decades.
  • Over 25% of treatment costs for heart disease are related to overweight and obesity.