U.S. overweight and obesity rates are higher than ever!
Over the last 30 years, the number of adults and children who are obese has soared. As a direct result of the epidemic, children today may be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents.
How did this happen? Healthy choices have been undermined at every turn. Sugary drinks and junk food are everywhere; portion sizes have skyrocketed; and runaway marketing pushes unhealthy products on us in ever more sophisticated ways. It is hardly surprising that we are in the midst of an obesity epidemic -- in fact, it's a logical consequence of the world around us.
The single biggest source of "junk" calories in the American diet? Soda and other surgary drinks.
 |
| The number of Americans -- both children and adults -- who are overweight or obese is staggering... |
|
|
||||
| The number of Americans--both children and adults--who are overweight or obese is staggering, and sugary drinks are a major contributor. Overweight and obesity are linked to an array of health problems including heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. | ||||
 |
||||
|
 |
 |
| Roughly two-thirds (68%) of adults are overweight and among or obese. |
|
|
|
| Adults who drink one or more sodas daily are 27% more likely to be overweight or obese, regardless of income or ethnicity. In the United States, more than two-thirds (68%) of adults are overweight or obese. |
|
 |
|
 What is Obesity?Medline Plus |
 |
| Nearly one-third (32%) of children between ages 2-19 are overweight... |
|
|
||
 |
Perhaps most disturbing is that nearly one-third (32%) of children between ages 2-19 are overweight, and many of them are obese. These children are at risk for many other health problems including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. For each additional soda a child drinks, his or her risk of obesity goes up 60%.
|
|
 |
||
|
||
|
 |
Conditions caused by overweight and obesity account for as much as $168 billion per year in U.S. medical expenditures...
|
|
|
|
|
.png)
According to the Centers for Disease Control, substantial differences in obesity prevalence exist between racial/ethnic groups.
|
|
|
| According to the Centers for Disease Control, substantial differences in obesity prevalence exist between racial/ethnic groups, with Whites having lower rates than African Americans or Mexican Americans. Obesity prevalence also varies by family income levels, with higher obesity rates among lower-income families, particularly White families. | |
|
|
|
 |
5 Questions on Equity and Childhood Obesity This video by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation features Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PolicyLink, answering 5 Questions on Equity and Childhood Obesity. |
|
|
Obesity by Race/Ethnicity 2006-2008 Centers for Disease Control |
