(DailyEmailNews.com) – Sparking alarming health concerns, severe obesity is on the rise and hitting unprecedented levels in the United States, especially among women.
This troubling trend demands urgent measures to address the escalating health risks linked to severe obesity.
The overall obesity rate in the U.S. has reached a new peak, with a current rate of about 40%, based on a survey from 2021-2023 involving around 6,000 people.
This means severe obesity has increased dramatically. Nearly 1 in 10 surveyed individuals reported severe obesity, and women were revealed to be nearly twice as likely to fall into this category.
Severe obesity poses a significant threat to public health. It is closely linked with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and a lower quality of life.
As Solveig Cunningham from Emory University pointed out, “Seeing increases in severe obesity is even more alarming because that’s the level of obesity that’s most highly associated with some of the highest levels of cardiovascular disease and diabetes and lower quality of life.”
Although new weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are available, they have not impacted obesity rates in a significant way.
This situation underscores the need for better strategies to address the issue. Severe obesity’s rise reflects more than failed medical treatments: it points to deeper societal and lifestyle factors that must be addressed.
Reports have also shown differences in obesity rates based on education levels and geographical locations.
About 45% of individuals with some college education or a high school diploma or less report obesity, in contrast to 32% of people holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Geographically, West Virginia faces the highest obesity rates at over 41%, while Washington, D.C., records less than 24%.
“Obesity occurs when energy intake (food) is substantially higher than energy expenditure (in particular physical activity),” states a detailed study on the issue.
Ultra-processed foods, which are highly caloric but low in nutritional value, play a significant role in this escalating problem. Sugar-sweetened beverages are also to blame.
As stated by the CDC, all U.S. states and territories report obesity rates over 20%, with 23 states seeing rates over 33%.
“We find that prevention is going to be the key to managing, to better managing this epidemic,” experts advocate.
Immediate and effective preventive measures are crucial as projections show that by 2030, nearly half of U.S. adults will be obese, including one in four with severe obesity.
The American diet’s shift towards ultra-processed foods and sugary beverages since the 1970s also played a huge part in increasing obesity rates.
Ultra-processed foods now constitute an estimated 57.0% of energy intake in American adults.
The medical cost of obesity has reached around $173 billion each year. Obesity also has the potential to shorten life expectancy by up to 14 years, highlighting the urgent need to address this crisis.
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