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Facts on Obese People in America

Obesity is an important issue in American health care. Many people are at risk of dying of obesity-related causes, yet prevention is possible.

  1. Significance

    • BBC.com statistics show that the United States of America has the fifth highest rate of obesity in the world; 32.2 percent of the country is classified as obese.

    Geography

    • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that, in 2008, six American states (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia) had a rate of obesity equal to or greater than 30 percent. Only Colorado had an obesity rate lower than 20 percent.

    Effects

    • The World Health Organization warns that obesity increases the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
      A study by the Journal of the American Medical Association published in 2005 estimated that obesity kills 112,000 Americans per year.

    Theories/Speculation

    • Whilst obesity is a global problem, it is, as the BBC statistics show, particularly prevalent in America. Time magazine speculates that environmental factors contribute to the problem: Technology, in the form of cars and electronics, has reduced the need for everyday physical activity; and food in America is abundant, mass produced and cheap.

    Financial Costs

    • The effect of obesity on America's health-care system was highlighted in a 2009 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study showed that in 2006, obese people spent $1,429 more for medical care than people of normal weight and that the cost of obesity in America was $147 billion per year. This is double the $74 billion cost of 1998, signaling that the problem is increasing.

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