Why are so many people obese.

2012-01-17T00:42:00.000-08:00

One question that I frequently get is why are so many people overweight. This can be summed up quite simply, we eat too much and move too little. Over the last 150, years advances in technology, industrialization, and automation have decreased the need for physical work, allowed a greater amount of leisure time and at the same time increased food availability. In one way these advances are positive, however there have been negative impacts on the population’s health. Obesity and overweight in both children and adults has become a global epidemic in industrialized countries and some developing nations. The prevalence of obesity is as high as 50% in some nations around the world. Recent data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination survey showed that 30.5% of US adults are obese and 64.5% of the adult population is overweight. National surveys in the US have shown that the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than doubled since the early 1960s. These increases in childhood obesity may lead to far greater numbers of adult obesity in the future.

If you are not overweight or obese this may not seem much of a problem for you. However, when you consider the public health concern, we can see that obesity is a problem for everyone not just our neighbors. Approximately 10% of all medical spending in the U.S. is due to obesity related issues. In fact people who are obese spend almost 1,500 more each year in health care. And obese people on Medicare cost an average of $1,700 more to treat than their normal weight counterparts.-- Obesity in the United States now carries the hefty price tag of $147 billion per year in direct medical costs. Eric Finkelstein, director, RTI Public Health Economics Program in Research Triangle Park, N.C. said, "For people on Medicare, average expenses for a normal-weight person average about $4,700 a year, while costs for an obese person range about $6,400 annually, Finkelstein said....The biggest driver of these excess costs are prescription drugs, Finkelstein said. Among the normal-weight population, prescription drug costs average about $700 a year, but among those who are obese the cost rises to about $1,300 a year, an 80 percent increase, he said."For Medicare, the costs of obesity are about 72 percent greater just for prescription drugs," Finkelstein said. An obese person on Medicare is going to pay $1,400 in drug costs more a year than a normal-weight person, he said.

Percent of noninstitutionalized adults age 20 years and over who are overweight or obese: 67% (2005-2006)

Percent of noninstitutionalized adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 34% (2005-2006)

Percent of adolescents age 12-19 years who are overweight: 18% (2005-2006)

Percent of children age 6-11 years who are overweight: 15% (2005-2006)

Percent of children age 2-5 years who are overweight: 11% (2005-2006)

People who are obese have a significantly greater amounts of adipose tissue and excess weight than the rest of the population. overweight and obesity is typically measured by the body mass index or BMI. The standard BMI has four classes underweight,normal, overweight and obese. Obesity can be further classified into three classes from moderate obesity to extreme obesity. In future articles we will discuss the calculations of BMI and why body fat percentage may actually be a better way to measure overall body fat. For the latest in health and fitness related news please visit. A-NU-U Today

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Why are so many people obese.