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Americans are fatter than ever
and the pounds are accumulating at even younger ages.
The report found that 27%
of US adults aged 20 to 74 are obese by the time they reach their mid-30s,
about twice the rate in the early 1960s. Overall, 61%
of adults are either overweight or obese, defined as a body
mass index (BMI) of at least 30. Women and ethnic minorities are at increased
risk of obesity.
BMI is a measure of a person's
weight in relation to their height and can more accurately predict the
risk of weight-related medical complications than weight alone. A BMI
of 30 or more, for instance, is associated with an increased risk of heart
disease, some cancers, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
The researchers documented
a shift in how fast young adults became obese, with people born in 1964
becoming obese 26% to 28% faster than (those) born in 1957.
The findings underscore the
need for weight-control efforts that target even mildly overweight young
adults. According to the report, 80% of adults who were obese in their
mid-30s began to put on the excess weight in their 20s and many people
began to gain weight in their teens.
The findings are based on information
from more than 9,000 people living in the US, who reported their height
and weight to researchers 12 times over a 17-year period. Because people
tend to underestimate their weight, the results of the study may be conservative,
the researchers note.
Annals
of Internal Medicine June 18, 2002;136:857-864, 923-925
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