Obesity in America

0PhAtDaDdY

Alison__

I live in Europe, Scandinavia, and I have to say - most people here view America as a very obese country. It's really sad that we're so prejudiced, but it shocks me to see how true it actually is... I used to think it was mostly prejudices and exaggerations.

0PhAtDaDdY

I live in Europe, Scandinavia, and I have to say - most people here view America as a very obese country. It's really sad that we're so prejudiced, but it shocks me to see how true it actually is... I used to think it was mostly prejudices and exaggerations.

WE r big here no doubt, the first time I went to the Philippines I was so shocked I rarely saw an over weight person....

Scorpioangel

WOW

megmay2591

It's crazy to see how some states shift from being some of the healthiest in 1998 to the most unhealthy in 2008. This can be changed....

I would have to guess and say that this is because a bag of chips, a candy bar, a frozen pizza, a donut, a meal at any fast food chain costs less than a pound of veggies, or chicken.

laurensohn22

Wow that's a huge difference !!

vingogly

Here's an interesting (if depressing) bar chart that compares obesity rates across countries:

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

If that's not a wake-up call for those of us in the USA, I don't know what is.

dictations

That was in '08, just imagine how much worse it is now. Not really much that can be done though, if people want to stick to all their unhealthy habits, they can't be forced to change.

kbw414

I no longer fall into the 25-29% of obese people in my state! Recently my BMI hit 29 and soon enough, I hope to not be overweight either. Thanks for sharing this.

CannibalisticVegetarian

I'm not surprised by the chart. *Sniffles* I'm from the second fattest state in the nation (Alabama). In your face, Mississippi!

....Just can't wait to get out of that 'obese' category. I'll be one less fat Alabamian at least.

pdworkman

I was just thinking about this the other day. I saw a commercial for reruns of "Roseanne". I remember when that show first ran - Roseanne was huge. There weren't fat people on TV. But she and Dan were this huge, obese couple.

But on the commercial . . . she didn't look nearly as big as I remember. She looked . . . pretty average.

Pam

MrFatLegs

i don't know about those numbers.. 30% of americans are obese? that mean every 3-4 people i see should be overweight and that doesn't seem right. i'll pay attention tomorrow.

TriforceRaven

I love how Japan has one of the lowest obesity rates, yet is on this super health kick. Although they also have genetics on their side, it seems.

porcelain_doll

How do these chart makers know how much everybody weighs everywhere?

silentnacht

How do these chart makers know how much everybody weighs everywhere?

This is what I wonder. I haven't been weighted by a doctor since I was around 11 years old. Neither have a lot of my friends/family. Are they just extrapolating based on the numbers they do have?

kim_mc

This is crazy- and changed for the worse in such a short time.
We need to start educating people. Not just that they have to eat healthy and exercise, but what is healthy eating and what would be considered a good workout! It needs to start when kids are young,
in school. If we can't force the food industry to change, we have to refuse to continue buying their food. Come on, the fast food meals get cheaper and cheaper and the cost of REAL food continues to rise! This trend has to stop for soooo many reasons!

albinogorilla

In fairness, I am an american, and I am Obese based on the BMI chart.............and probabaly will be forever. . . . It is possible to be "obese" and healthy........as odd as that sounds..............but i do understand that this is reference to a different situation..........but people like me also factor into those OBESE numbers

jb_2011

Thx for posting, it's really something to see it all laid out there on the map. Holy sheesh.

Priincess_Natalie

I live in Oklahoma and most people I see are overweight. Most of my family is and so are my friends. This is very sad

firefly171717

That was in '08, just imagine how much worse it is now. Not really much that can be done though, if people want to stick to all their unhealthy habits, they can't be forced to change.

Thanks for sharing! It is truly shocking, and we are passing this to our children. Society is getting less and less active and the unhealthy options are getting easier and easier. What can we do?

ogosun

canadian's are getting pretty "big" also..... they are catching up..... so sad to see.... ...

firefly171717

How do these chart makers know how much everybody weighs everywhere?

This is what I wonder. I haven't been weighted by a doctor since I was around 11 years old. Neither have a lot of my friends/family. Are they just extrapolating based on the numbers they do have?

I get weighted every time....and census....happens every 10 years

Pepper2185

I live in Canada. I went to a restaurant near Seattle and ordered a junior cheese pizza off of the kids menu. I wasn't very hungry and wanted a tiny meal. The pizza was the size of a large dinner plate.

Junior cheese pizza my *kitten*.

melkneec

Wow!!!

Elizabeth_C34

I remember growing up in Tennessee and coming back home there last year. I was over 200 lbs, and I was considered "average" when I was actually obese. Some of my friends actually told me I looked "skinny" which was kinda disturbing.

The first time I went to Europe last year, I felt huge. Everyone there was so much thinner and fitter. I was really embarassed about my size there.

P.S. There is no way Texas is not over 30% obesity now. I spent some time near Corpus Christi a couple years ago and, again at over 200 lbs, I was by FAR the thinnest person I saw. I routinely saw people over 400 or 500 lbs. It was very sad to see a whole community of people with such poor health.

healthyJenn0915

Wow, this is so crazy! Time for us Americans to get on the ball and get healthy!

silentnacht

How do these chart makers know how much everybody weighs everywhere?

This is what I wonder. I haven't been weighted by a doctor since I was around 11 years old. Neither have a lot of my friends/family. Are they just extrapolating based on the numbers they do have?

I get weighted every time....and census....happens every 10 years

Haha, well I haven't BEEN to a doctor since I was 11. Maybe I should have clarified. So unless the government has spies in my bathroom there is some extrapolation happening somewhere.

kalepowered

Sadly, I can't imagine anyone who would find these graphs surprising. And people wonder why others in different countries list "fat" as one of the first adjectives if they were to describe Americans in general.

auntiebabs

That was in '08, just imagine how much worse it is now. Not really much that can be done though, if people want to stick to all their unhealthy habits, they can't be forced to change.

I disagree I think a large part of the problem is that there are so many added sugars in what use to be *REAL* foods.
Sugars and artificial sugars increase appetite hence food manufacturers add it to sell more product.

While there is the "sugar is a sugar" argument HFCS is much sweeter that old fashion sugar, so you'd think they'd use less...BUT NO THEY USE MORE... We've gotten used to sugar in everything which keeps our cravings going and prevents the absorption of nutrients... They government subsidizes the corn crops that make HFCS and then tell use we need to use more will power.

I've been keeping an eye on sugars in "real" foods and find it really difficult to keep it in check. Back in the 1960s when I was a kid real food was real food. I a kid could have a treat once in a while, now much or the "real" foods on the market are sweeter than Treats.

I look at it this way my favorite cookies are 9g of sugar for 15 cookies.... One day I picked up a jar of prepared tomato sauce and it was 9g of sugar for 1/2 cup serving. So I went back to buying plain canned tomato sauce and making my own.. but last time I went to the story I notice Corn syrup was listed as an ingredient were it once only said tomatoes.... I'm so frustrated. So much of it is hidden and it takes so much work to avoid it. But with a family history of diabetes

Silverkittycat

How do these chart makers know how much everybody weighs everywhere?

Haha, well I haven't BEEN to a doctor since I was 11. Maybe I should have clarified. So unless the government has spies in my bathroom there is some extrapolation happening somewhere.

Silentnacht - There's limitations. :laugh:
I didn't see the current report so I copied the method 2009's report, which was released in 2010. Same method though.

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) measures height and weight through self-report in state-based surveys; data are released every year. In 2000, a Healthy People 2010 objective was established to reduce the prevalence of obesity among adults in the United States to 15%.* This objective is based on obesity prevalence from measured height and weight among participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Because NHANES provides only national and not state-specific estimates, CDC uses the state-based BRFSS data and applies the 15% prevalence figure as a reasonable target for self-reported obesity prevalence in the states. As of 2007 (6), no state had met the Healthy People 2010 objective to reduce the prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults to 15%. To characterize the most recent trends, CDC used data from the 2009 BRFSS survey to estimate the national and state-specific prevalence of obesity among adults aged ≥18 years.

Methods

BRFSS is an ongoing annual, state-based, random-digit--dialed landline telephone survey of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized adult population. States use BRFSS data to identify and monitor the prevalence of behaviors and health conditions and to develop and evaluate risk prevention initiatives. BRFSS data are weighted for probability of selection to match the age-, race-, and sex-specific populations of participating states and the District of Columbia (DC). Since 1984, BRFSS has asked survey respondents to report their weight and height. All 50 states and DC have contributed these data since 1996. The body mass index (BMI) (weight [kg] / height [m]2) is calculated for each participant, based on self-reported weight and height. Obesity is defined as BMI ≥30. For consistency with previous analyses, respondents reporting weight ≥500 pounds or height ≥7 feet or feet were excluded, and unadjusted prevalence estimates were reported for each state and by selected sociodemographic characteristics. In the 2009 BRFSS survey, Council of American Survey and Research Organizations (CASRO) response rates ranged from 37.9 to 66.9% (median: 52.9%), and cooperation rates ranged from 55.5% to 88.0% (median: 75.0%).† A total of 405,102 persons participated. Prevalence estimates were compared with previously published estimates from the 2000, 2005, and 2007 surveys (6,7). T-tests were used to assess statistical differences in the total prevalence estimates.

jfluchere

Sadly a lot of Americans don't care about a lot of things, their health included.