Obesity Rates and Projections in the US

• Currently in the US, more than 2/3 of adults over the age of 20 are obese (34.3%) or overweight (32.7%), up from 15% adult obesity rates in 1980. (National Center for Health Statistics. “Prevalence of Overweight, Obesity and Extreme Obesity among Adults: United States, Trends 1976-80 and 2005-06,” NCHS E-Stats, December 2008)  

• According to the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, more than 1/3 of children aged 10 to 17 are obese (16.4%) or overweight (18.2%). Obesity rates vary by location; for information by state, see: http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2009/.

• Overweight children are more likely to become obese as adults – up to 80% of overweight and obese children will grow into overweight or obese adults. (New England Journal of Medicine, 2007; found at: http://www.medicineonline.com/news/10/13480/Overweight-Kids-Often-Become-Obese-Unhealthy-Adults.html)

Consequences of Obesity:

• Obesity increases one’s risk for cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke and can contribute to depression and low self esteem. Obesity-related diseases cause preventable human suffering and in the US, treating those diseases costs an estimated $147 billion a year. (Health Affairs, March 2010: 29(3): 364-371)

• If present conditions in our food and physical activity environments and individual choices remain the same, 1 in 3 children born in 2000 are likely to develop type-2 diabetes. The rate would be even higher for children of color—nearly 1 in 2 Latinos and 2 in 5 African-Americans born that same year would be likely to become diabetic. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2003; found at: http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/news/docs/lifetime.htm)

• According to a 2009 CDC study, 70% of obese children had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, or abnormal glucose tolerance. (CDC, 2009; found at: http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/obesity.htm)

• If present conditions in our food and physical environments and individual choices remain the same, this generation will most likely live shorter lives than their parents, by 2 to 5 years. (New England Journal of Medicine, 2005; found at: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsr043743)

 Factors Contributing to Unhealthy Choices, Obesity, and Health Inequities:

• Soda pop and other sugary drinks, which have little or no nutritional value, currently make up 10 to 15% of children’s total calories in the US. (Wang, et. al, 2009; found at: http://www.archpedi.amaassn.org/cgi/content/abstract/163/4/336)

• Between 1977 and 2002, Americans increased caloric intake from soft drinks by 228%. (Duffey, KJ and Popkin, BM. Shifts in patterns and consumption of beverages between 1965 and 2002. “Obesity (Silver Spring).” November 2007; 15(11): 2739-2747)

• Food marketers often target specific communities, and the majority of ads are for unhealthy options. For example, according to a 2005 study, 52% of food and beverage ads in magazines geared towards the Hispanic community were for unhealthy foods, compared with 32% in magazines for the African American/black community, and 29% in those for whites or all audiences. (Duerksen et al, “Health Disparities and advertising content of women’s magazines: a cross-sectional study,” BMC Public Health, August 2005). TV and Internet ads follow similar patterns. 

• Children are an increasingly common target of food advertising through a variety of media, toys that promote particular food brands, at grocery stores, and in school. During the 1990s, the amount of money companies spent on food marketing to children doubled; currently, they spend about $12 billion a year to reach this audience. (McNeal, J. Tapping the Three Kids Markets. “American Demographics,” 1998; 20:37-41)  

• Only 13.7% of elementary schools, 15.2% of middle schools, and 3.0% of high schools provide P.E. for all students three or more times a week throughout the school year. On a daily basis, P.E. is provided at only 3.8% of elementary, 7.9% of middle, and 2.1% of high schools. (CDC 2006; accessed through: http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/shpps/2006/factsheets/pdf/FS_PhysicalEducation_SHPPS2006.pdf)

• In the US, only 32.6% of adults eat the recommended (two or more) servings of fruits each day and even fewer adults, 27.2%, eat the recommended (three or more) servings of vegetables each day. (CDC 2007-08 data; accessed through: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5610a2.htm)

• The typical school-age child spends more than 7 hours a day in front of TV, video game and computer screens or using mobile media for entertainment, instead of being active and engaged with others. (Kaiser Family Foundation, “Generation M” Report, 2005, updated in 2010)  

Facts last updated by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon on September 9, 2010

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