New numbers revealed by the National Center for Health Statistics show that the number of American adults who are obese now is much larger than of those who are simply overweight.

 

According to the most recent statistics from the federal government more than 34 percent of Americans suffer from obesity compared to 32.7percent who are merely overweight (which is up from 23 percent in a similar study done in 1988 through 1994). And 6 percent were reported to be “extremely” obese.

 

“More than one-third of adults, or over 72 million people, was obese in 2005-2006,” the NCHS, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated in its report, “Although the prevalence of obesity has more than doubled since 1980, the prevalence of overweight has remained stable over the same time period.”

 

In May, the CDC reported that 32 percent of America’s children now fit the definition of being overweight while 16 percent are obese and 11 percent are morbidly obese. Childhood and adult obesity has become a huge problem not only in the United States but also in many other countries all over the world.

The numbers come from the 2005-2006 survey.

They are the most current available, but naturally, could have inflated steadily since.

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