Sky-high obesity rates in the United States appear to be stabilizing, according to new data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the data, one out of every three American adults is obese, and two out of three are overweight. In addition, 17 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese.
Obesity rates among adults and children have increased dramatically since 1980. However, obesity rates for women and children have not changed measurably within the last decade, and for men the rate has remained fairly stable for the past five years.
Although experts are glad that rates are not climbing any higher, they warn that there is little to celebrate. Dr. Scott Kahan, M.D., the co-director of the George Washington University Weight Management Program in Washington, D.C., commented: "The obesity rates have somewhat leveled off, and for the most part that's good, but the bad news is that they have leveled off at a prevalence rate that is alarmingly high. We have a lot of work to do, and this has to be a national priority to move forward from here."
(Source: www.cnn.com)
Labels: obesity
Posted By: Aspen Education Group