New Study Predicts Major Weight Problems In America By 2015
July 19, 2007 – 8:19 amA new study done by John Hopkins University in Massachussets has predicted that 75% of Americans will be considered “overweight” and 41% will be “obese” by the year 2015.
The study was based on studies from 20 medical journals and surveys on weight and behavior which were published in the journal Epidemiologic Reviews.
Studies show that 66 percent of U.S. adults were overweight or obese in 2003 and 2004. An alarming 80 percent of black women aged 40 or over are overweight and 50 percent are obese.
Sixteen percent of U.S. children and adolescents are overweight and 34 percent are at risk of becoming overweight, according to federal government figures.
The studies were based on BMI (Body Mass Index.) Anyone with a BMI of over 25 is considered to be overweight, and a BMI of over 30 is considered to be obese. The higher a person’s BMI the greater the chances for them to have weight related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and in some cases even cancer.
If society continues at this pace, obesity could lead the number one cause of preventable deaths in America.
Who do you think is responsible for this shift in American habits? The government, marketers, parents or the person that is overweight? What should be done to counteract this shift towards being a heavy country?
