Obesity Epidemic Expanding

Federal health officials set a goal for 2010. They wanted to see no more than 15 percent of each state’s population qualify as obese.
None of the states made it.
In fact, the prevalence of obesity has grown throughout America, according to data analyzed by officials for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Obesity has become a problem in every state,” the CDC news release states. There isn’t a state in the country with fewer than 20 percent of its adults weighing enough to be considered obese. In 12 states, 30 percent or more of adults were obese, according to the data.
So how do you know if you’re obese?
You have to know how much you weight to begin. That’s a big step for some people. It’s a number many of us would rather not know.
But once you have your weight and your height, you can use a Body Mass Index calculator to see where you rank. A healthy weight is a BMI from 18.5 to 24.9. People are considered overweight when their BMI is 25 to 29.9. Obese is a BMI of 30 or higher.
It’s important to remember that as you lose weight your risk of obesity-related conditions decrease. Exercise and healthy eating play imperative roles.
“State obesity rates are still high,” said CDC Director Thomas Frieden. “Some of the leading causes of death are obesity-related – heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. We must continue our efforts to reverse this epidemic.”

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Alice Warchol is a fitness instructor and freelance health writer.

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