September 24, 2024 – Severe obesity is becoming increasingly common within the United States, in line with a brand new CDC report. Almost one in ten adults suffers from severe obesity, with women more commonly affected by the condition than men.
But from 2013 to 2023, the general obesity rate remained relatively constant at about 40%.
Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. A BMI of 40 or higher identified individuals with severe obesity. The BMI is a measure Body fat based on height and weight.
Understanding obesity rates is vital since the condition can increase the chance of other complex health problems, and in addition due to interest in whether latest and expensive obesity treatments reminiscent of GLP-1 drugs could have long-term and meaningful effects on a broader scale.
The latest report is predicated on data from the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected from 2021 to 2023. The survey includes an interview at home followed by a health examination at a mobile screening center.
The latest numbers show that about 100 million adults within the U.S. suffer from obesity. A diagnosis of obesity with a BMI of 30 corresponds to being 220 kilos tall and 6 feet tall, or 185 kilos tall and 5 feet 6 inches tall. A 6-foot-tall person with severe obesity weighs nearly 300 kilos or more, and a 5-foot-6-inch person with severe obesity weighs no less than 245 kilos.
The report's authors acknowledged that BMI has limitations as an indicator of obesity since it does circuitously measure body fat or assess body fat distribution.
“The distribution of excess body fat, particularly visceral fat, contributes to the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases,” the authors write. “Despite these limitations, BMI is a simple and inexpensive screening tool for conditions that may increase the risk of certain chronic diseases.”
Visceral fat is stored deep within the abdominal area and might have toxic effects on surrounding organs.
A federal health goal under the Healthy People 2030 initiative is to scale back the nation's adult obesity rate to 36%. This latest report showed that obesity is commonest amongst people ages 40 to 59 and is lowest amongst individuals with no less than a bachelor's degree.
Treatment options Anti-obesity interventions include lifestyle changes reminiscent of food plan and exercise, behavioral counseling or coaching, medications, and surgery. Research consistently shows that losing 5 to 10% of body weight can result in significant health changes, including improved levels of cholesterol, reduced risk of diabetes and higher heart health.