CDC Reports Americans 'Getting Fatter,' Increasing Healthcare Burden

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that Americans have been gaining weight over time. In 1960, around 31.5% of American adults were overweight, while the most recent monitoring in 2017 showed that about 30.3% were overweight.

However, in 1960, approximately 13.4% of adults were obese, with about 0.9% being severely obese. By 2017, these numbers had risen significantly, with around 42.8% of adults classified as obese and 9.6% as severely obese. The obesity rate among children also reached around 20%, which is a major concern.

Obese children are more likely to develop high blood pressure and diabetes than children with normal weight, and they are also more likely to remain obese into adulthood.

The CDC estimates that obesity and its related health issues cost the U.S. healthcare system nearly $173 billion annually.

Body weight is typically measured using the Body Mass Index (BMI), which compares weight to height. According to the CDC, a "healthy" weight for a person 5 feet 10 inches tall (about 177.8 cm) is between 128-173 pounds (around 58-78 kg), corresponding to a BMI of 18.4-24.9.

For individuals of the same height with a weight of 173-208 pounds (about 78-94 kg), they are classified as overweight. Those weighing more than 208 pounds or having a BMI of 30 or higher are classified as obese, while a BMI of 40 or higher, or a weight of 278 pounds (about 126 kg), classifies an individual as severely obese.

Source: Xinhua Thai