Numbers
to chew on
The following statistics were taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 1999-2002:
The latest data released from the National Center for Health Statistics in August show 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 years of age and older – more than 60 million people – are obese. Youth are not immune either, with the percentage of young people who are overweight having tripled since 1980. Among children and teens age 6 to 19 years, 16 percent (more than 9 million) are overweight.
Approximately 300,000 adult deaths in the United States each year are attributable to unhealthy dietary habits and physical inactivity or sedentary behavior.
The prevalence of obesity in adults steadily has increased over the years among both genders, all ages, all racial/ethnic groups and all educational levels. By 2000, every state except Colorado had obesity rates of 15 percent or more, and 22 states had obesity rates of 20 percent or more.
Americans spend $33 billion annually on weight-loss products and services.
