- Retail Earnings in Focus Ahead of Shopping Season
- Apple Surpasses Nokia as Top Handset Maker by Profit
- In This Relay-Race Market, Who Gets Baton Next?
- Workers Staying Put at Their Jobs as Jobless Surges
- Three Things the US Can Do To Stop the Dollar's Decline
- Toll Brothers: More Contracts Signed, but Sales Down
- Ponzi Proceeds: Bidding on Madoff's Toys
- Bear Stearn Fund Managers Not Guilty on All Counts
- Commodity ETFs: Returns May Not Match Expectations
- Beware of 'Trampling Effect' When Market Tops: Manager
- Gold Heading to $1150: Art Hogan
- Starbucks Brews Up Growth
- Farr: An Extended Period—No Fat Lady in Sight
- More Upside if S&P Passes This Number: Market Pro
- Murdoch Lashes Out At Google
- Fighting The Flu Vaccine Critics
- Nov. 10: Unusual Volume Leaders
- Shadow Inventory Dwarfs Loan Mods
- Appeals panel: No landfill near SoCal nat'l park
- GM chairman says co. is committed to repaying aid
- Report: Blackwater OK'd $1M plan to pay off Iraqis
- UT board: Depleted uranium disposal needs scrutiny
- Assured Guaranty forecasts 3rd-quarter loss
- Ralcorp nearly doubles profit in 4th-quarter
- FDIC boss: Big banks still aren't lending enough
- Logitech to buy LifeSize Communications for $405M
- Werner Enterprises to pay special dividend
WASHINGTON - Americans are getting heavier than ever, with more than 26 percent of the population now fully obese, the U.S. government reported on Wednesday.
Despite warnings that the population must stop layering on the fat and frightening statistics that show two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, the weight trend continues, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.
"The proportion of U.S. adults who are obese increased to 26.1 percent in 2008 compared to 25.6 percent in 2007," the CDC said in a statement.
"If this trend continues we will likely see increases in healthcare costs for obesity-related diseases," said the CDC's Liping Pan, who headed the study.
"Obesity is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes," the CDC's Dr. William Dietz added in a statement. "As obesity increases among all age groups, we are seeing chronic diseases in much younger adults compared to a few decades ago.
"For example, we now see young adults who suffer from heart disease risk factors and other conditions such as type 2 diabetes that were unheard of in the past."
The agency used its Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a telephone survey of 400,000 adults, to gather its data.
At least 30 percent of adults are obese in six states -- Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia, the CDC found.
Only Colorado can claim that fewer than 20 percent of its residents are obese.
Interactive tool |
BMI calculator If your body mass index is 25 or higher, your health could be at risk. Estimate your BMI with this easy-to-use tool. msnbc.com |
Body mass index, a measure of height to weight, is used to calculate obesity. A person is considered overweight with a BMI of 25 or more and obese with a BMI of 30 or above.
BMI is equal to weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Someone 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 240 pounds (109 kgs) would be obese and would have to get below 195 pounds (88.5 kg) to be no longer considered overweight.
- Vote and suggest your own, and remember--there's a fine line between a hero and a zero.
- If you are lucky enough to have money and the time, this is a great time to see America, says CNBC's Jane Wells.
- What’s powering your microwave, fridge and computer? Part of it is fuel from Russian nuclear weapons. The NYT reports.
- One author sees lessons for you in Disney’s recent Makeover of Mickey Mouse: “Nice” doesn’t always win.
- With 123 years of history, slogans and commercials, Coca-Cola is the most recognized brand on earth.
- The opening of a virtual pet store in “World of Warcraft” could prove a cash bonanza for Activision-Blizzard.









