obesity epidemic

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More Than 1B People Worldwide Are Obese
Obesity Rate Worldwide
Has Soared Since 1990
NEW STUDY
Mar 1, 2024 8:24 AM CST

Obesity Rate Worldwide Has Soared Since 1990

The rate has quadrupled among kids and teens, researchers say

(Newser) - More than 1 billion worldwide are obese and obesity is now the most common form of malnutrition in many countries, according to a new study published in the Lancet . Researchers used data from thousands of studies involving more than 220 million people in almost 200 countries, the Guardian reports. They...

Overweight People Will Soon Be the Majority
Overweight People Will
Soon Be the Majority
NEW REPORT
Mar 5, 2023 4:35 PM CST

Overweight People Will Soon Be the Majority

More than half of global population predicted to be overweight or obese by 2035

(Newser) - In a little more than a decade, obese people will be the majority around the world. More than half of the world’s population, or more than 4 billion people, will be overweight or obese by 2035, according to the World Obesity Federation, which is warning countries to act now...

US Stays Mum About Diet's Effect on Getting COVID

Government lacks a strategy, or even a public stance, on the problem as obesity worsens

(Newser) - Other nations have acted during the pandemic to counter the increased risk of contracting COVID caused by diet-related conditions such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's moves have received attention, but it's not just Britain, Politico reports. Chile has slapped warning labels on foods with...

New Findings on US Obesity 'Important for Everyone'

And it's not great news: Obesity rate in America is now over 40%

(Newser) - In 1999, US health officials warned that the health of millions of Americans was being imperiled by a "growing obesity epidemic." Twenty years later, it appears that warning wasn't very effective: A report issued Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the obesity...

Modern Girls Hit Puberty a Year Earlier Than '70s Counterparts

Researchers say obesity, environmental chemicals could be to blame

(Newser) - If it seems like girls these days are hitting puberty earlier than in decades past, you're not imagining things—and researchers now suggest obesity and environmental chemicals may be playing a role. The Guardian reports on new research out of the University of Copenhagen that looked at 30 global...

This Is How Much the Average American Weighs
This Is How Much the
Average American Weighs
in case you missed it
Dec 23, 2018 2:04 PM CST

This Is How Much the Average American Weighs

197.9 pounds for men, 170.6 pounds for women—30 pounds more than in the early '60s

(Newser) - Everyone might want to get a head start on their New Year's resolutions to shed a few pounds. Per CNN , a new report from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics shows Americans are shrinking—the average height for men (5-9) and women (5-4) decreased slightly from 1999-2000...

The 5 Most, Least Obese States
The 5 Most, Least
Obese States 
May 20, 2017 3:49 PM CDT

The 5 Most, Least Obese States

Go West, (skinny) young man

(Newser) - At least one in five Americans are considered obese, but some of them are clustered together geographically. And if you want to avoid a bulging waistline, you'd do well to steer clear of Paula Deen and the South and head West, notes 24/7 Wall St. in compiling its list...

America's Obesity Problem Is Only Getting Bigger

2 in 5 women and 1 in 5 teens are now obese

(Newser) - Despite "hundreds of millions of dollars" spent fight obesity in America, the problem is only getting worse, specifically for women and teens, researchers say . The CDC published two new studies of obesity in adults and children Tuesday. The results were not encouraging. MSNBC reports 38% of US adults are...

World's Obese Now Outnumber the Underweight

A 5th of the world will be obese by 2025, researchers warn

(Newser) - It's a big world after all: Researchers say that over the last 40 years, the number of obese people worldwide has ballooned and the obese now outnumber the underweight, HealthDay reports. The proportion of obese people worldwide now stands at 11% among men and 15% among women, while 9%...

The 10 Fattest Cities in the US
 The 10 Fattest Cities in the US 
Mar 23, 2016 12:32 PM CDT

The 10 Fattest Cities in the US

Don't blame the South, its food is just too good

(Newser) - Obesity-related medical treatments cost Americans up to $315.8 billion every year, and that could increase by up to $66 billion per year if current health trends continue. With the increasing cost of the US' obesity epidemic in mind, WalletHub looked at the 100 largest American cities (by population, not...

Crash-Test Dummies Don't Look the Way They Used To

They're getting fatter

(Newser) - Your average crash-test dummy, it seems, weighs 167 pounds. But a lot of Americans, as you might have noticed, weigh considerably more than that. That disparity raises safety issues rather than health issues, reports UPI , and there's a sobering statistic to back that up, as per CNN : "Obese...

It Isn't Extra Food That's Making Us Fat
 It Isn't Extra Food
That's Making Us Fat
OBESITY STUDY
Jul 9, 2014 7:23 AM CDT

It Isn't Extra Food That's Making Us Fat

Food intake stayed steady while exercise rates fell

(Newser) - Americans are a lot heftier than they were in 1988, but it's not because they're eating a lot more than they were a couple of decades ago; it's because they're sitting around a lot more, according to a new study. Researchers found that daily intake of...

Report on World Obesity Is Just Dismal

Over 30 years, not a single country has cut obesity rates

(Newser) - There are more obese or overweight people in the world today than there were people of any weight in 1935, the most comprehensive look at worldwide obesity in decades warns. The 188-country study found that there are 2.1 billion overweight or obese people in the world, making up around...

Colombia's Fattest Baby 'Rescued'

Santiago Mendoza is 8 months, weighs what a 6-year-old does

(Newser) - "Grossly obese" is a phrase that should never sit alongside another one: "8-month-old." But that is apparently indeed the case in Colombia, where a baby has been "rescued" from his family by a charity—at his own mother's request. Santiago Mendoza weighs a staggering 44...

Obesity in Kids Plummets
 Obesity in Kids Plummets 
Feb 25, 2014 5:02 PM CST

Obesity in Kids Plummets

Rate falls 43% among those age 2 to 5

(Newser) - Here's something we don't hear much: good news on the nation's childhood obesity rate. The CDC says it's down among kids ages 2 to 5 by 43% over the last decade, reports Time . That's not just a mild surprise, it's "stunning," declares...

Animals Are Having an Obesity Crisis, Too

Does that mean lifestyle isn't the only cause?

(Newser) - Americans aren't the only ones getting fatter—our animals are also growing overweight, reports Pro Publica . And it isn't just pets and lab animals piling on the pounds (though they are; the likelihood of chimps living with or near humans being obese increased tenfold between 1985 and 2005):...

New Culprit in Teen Diabetes? Food Packaging
New Culprit in Teen
Diabetes? Food Packaging
NEW STUDIES
Aug 19, 2013 11:35 AM CDT

New Culprit in Teen Diabetes? Food Packaging

But findings on BPA and DEHP not conclusive

(Newser) - It might not just be the foods teens are eating that lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes, but the wrappers and cans they come in, two studies published recently in Pediatrics suggest. In one, researchers found that higher levels of DEHP, a phthalate found in processed foods, their packaging,...

Obesity Down Among Poor Kids for 1st Time

Decline across 19 states is small but encouraging

(Newser) - For the first time, a major government report says US child obesity rates are declining among low-income children, the New York Times reports. The decline is minimal—no more than 1% in any state—but the CDC's analysis of 12 million children age 2 to 4 from 40 states...

US Isn't World's Fattest Country— But It's Close

Almost a third of Mexicans obese

(Newser) - Amid near-constant news of the obesity epidemic, you'd be forgiven for thinking the US led the developed world when it comes to weight—but by at least one measure, you'd be wrong. Mexico actually has a higher percentage of obese adults, with 32.8% of its grown-up population...

Are Americans Giving Up on Diet Pills?

First prescription obesity drug in more than a decade struggles to sell

(Newser) - Just a few years ago, a drug company CEO predicted anti-obesity pills could rival the sales of drugs like Lipitor. Instead, the first prescription diet pill to arrive in 13 years is barely selling, the New York Times reports. Qsymia maker Vivus spent $45 million to promote the drug in...

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