The Fat Are Getting Fatter In America

It is estimated that there are more than 72 million obese individuals in the US

Statistics coming from the United States National Centre for Health Statistics show that obese Americans outnumber overweight Americans according to analysis of Body Mass Index’s around the country. Having a BMI of 25+ means you are considered overweight and with a BMI of 30+ you are considered to be obese.

The National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) which collects data for the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said that the figures showed there more than 34 percent of Americans were classified as obese compared to only 32.7 percent who were classified as overweight. Almost six percent of Americans were classified as extremely obese meaning that they have a BMI of 40+.

The NCHS commented on the figures by noting that while the number of obese individuals had more than doubled over the last 25 years the number of overweight individuals had more or less stayed the same. Between 1998 and 1994 for example the figure for obesity was only around 23 percent. It is now estimated that there are more than 72 million obese individuals in the United States which is causing huge health problems. 

For the NCHS analysis almost four and a half thousand adults were subjected to physical examinations to determine their BMI. It has been noted that significantly different results are achieved when people are asked to calculate their own BMI’s based on their own weight and height measurements. In order to get accurate figures it is necessary to subject all participants to independent analysis of their weight and height.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention also said that the “fattest state” in America in 2008 for the third year running had been Mississippi with West Virginia and Alabama taking second and third places respectively.