CDC: 25.6% of American adults surveyed are obese

[tjl]

In the 2007 BRFSS survey, 25.6% of respondents overall were obese. Obesity prevalence was 26.4% for men and 24.8% for women (Table). By age group, obesity prevalence ranged from 19.1% for men and women aged 18--29 years to 31.7% and 30.2%, respectively, for men and women aged 50--59 years. By race/ethnicity and sex, obesity prevalence was highest for non-Hispanic black women (39.0%) followed by non-Hispanic black men (32.1%).

By education level, for men, obesity prevalence was lowest among college graduates (22.1%) and highest among those with some college (29.5%) and a high school diploma (29.1%). For women, obesity prevalence was lowest among college graduates (17.9%) and highest among those with less than a high school diploma (32.6%).

By region, the prevalence of obesity was higher in the South (27.3%) and Midwest (26.5%) and lower in the Northeast (24.4%) and West (23.1%) (Table). State-specific obesity prevalence ranged from 18.7% to 32.0% and was <20% in only one state: Colorado (18.7%) (Figure). Obesity prevalence was >30% in three states: Alabama (30.3%), Mississippi (32.0%), and Tennessee (30.1%). No state met the Healthy People 2010 target of 15%, and 30 states had obesity prevalence >25%.

 

[i_love_muscle]

Canada's not much better (and this was released in 2004):

Obesity - A Pandemic

The prevalence of obesity has increased at an alarming rate over the past two decades, to the extent that it is now a pandemic affecting billions globally. The Canadian experience has been no different than that of many other developed countries. Statistics Canada data demonstrate that more than half of Canadians are overweight or obese, with almost 15 per cent of the population falling in the category of "obese". Between 1981 and 1996, the prevalence of obesity in Canada increased from nine to 14 percent in men and from eight to 12 percent in women, while those in the categories of overweight and obesity together increased from 48 to 57 percent among men and from 30 to 35 percent among women. The same research team found similar dramatic trends for Canadian children.

This is recent:

Obesity: Rates of self-reported obesity highest among middle-aged

According to the 2007 CCHS, 4 million people aged 18 or older, 16% of the total, reported data on weight and height that put them in the obese category. Another 8 million, or 32%, were overweight.

The percentage of Canadians who are overweight or obese rose dramatically between 1985 and 1994/1995 but appears to have stabilized more recently.

Between 2005 and 2007, rates of both overweight and obesity generally changed little. During that period, there was a slight increase in the proportion of women aged 18 to 24 who were obese, and a decrease in the proportion of senior men who were overweight.

Self-reported obesity rates were generally highest among individuals aged 45 to 64. One-fifth (20%) of men in this age group were obese, as were 18% of women. The proportion who were overweight also tended to peak in middle-age.

Rates of overweight and obesity were lowest among those aged 18 to 24 both for men and women. However, men aged 25 to 44 were considerably more likely than their female counterparts to be obese.

Among the provinces, rates of obesity were highest in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Atlantic Canada, ranging from 18% in Alberta to a high of 22% in Newfoundland and Labrador. The lowest rates were in British Columbia where only 11% of adults were obese.

Being overweight is a risk factor for chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Not surprisingly, individuals who were overweight or obese were more likely to have these conditions than were individuals whose Body Mass Index was in the normal range. Similarly, overweight and obese adults were less likely to rate their health as excellent or very good than were adults not carrying excess weight.

A separate study released today in Health Reports (82-003-XWE, free) found strong evidence of a positive association between sedentary activities and obesity among both sexes.

Because of the tendency of respondents to over-report their height and under-report their weight, it is likely that these figures from the CCHS underestimate the actual prevalence of obesity and overweight.