Did you see the recent news reports about a study that found almost 75 percent of American adults are overweight or obese? The study was published in The Lancet and then reported in The New York Times, CNN and other broad outlets.
That figure is up from about 50 percent in 1990, the study reported.
Experts say this increase is because we eat so many ultra-processed foods, don’t get enough fresh produce, and are too sedentary these days.
“The study’s authors documented increases in the rates of overweight and obesity across ages,” The Times wrote. The study “shows how more people are becoming overweight or obese at younger ages than in the past. Both conditions can raise the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, and shorten life expectancy.”
The study defined “overweight” adults as those with a body mass index of 25 or higher and “obese” at over 30. BMI is an imperfect measure of whether an individual has too much body fat. But “from a scientific perspective, experts said, BMI is correlated with other measures of body fat and is a practical tool for studying it at a population level,” The Times wrote.
Let’s not quibble. We clearly have an obesity problem in this country.
Can you commit to living at a healthy weight and helping loved ones do the same? Eating right and exercising regularly remain the keys to success. We are here to help, so call today.
Holly Kouvo is a personal trainer, functional aging specialist, senior fitness specialist, brain health trainer, writer, and speaker.