A new study in the United States has found that three-fourths of American men, and two-thirds of women are either obese or overweight. Since the 1990s the figures have increased 10 percent. This is also the first time that the number of obese people is higher than the number of overweight Americans.
The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
"Overweight" is usually defined by a body weight that is 10-20 percent higher than average, based on figures such as height, weight, and body mass index (BMI). Meanwhile, "obese" is at least 20 percent higher than a normal weight.
The research was conducted by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSTL). Their university research included data collected from 2007 to 2012, which included over 15,000 men and women who were at least 25 years old.
Using the study's sample size, the researchers conducted a statistical analysis to estimate that in 2012 67.6 million Americans were obese, and 65.2 million U.S. nationals were overweight.
Lin Yang, a WUSTL postgraduate researcher, told CBS News that the study's results revealed that policies and plans were needed to combat obese and overweight issues. She called it a "wake-up call."
Certain large-scale strategies could help to fight U.S. obesity rates. They included interacting with physical environments, improving primary care, and changing social norms, according to The Telegraph.
However, Sue Moores, a registered dietician, said that weight loss starts with a "small step," according to CBS Minnesota. She suggested weekly adding a new healthy food to home-cooked meals.
The latest research findings are in line with another study that was conducted from 1988 to 1994. It made the obesity epidemic a crystal clear issue.
Two decades ago somewhat fewer men and women were overweight or obese. Figures for the two genders were 63 percent and 55 percent, respectively.
The new study's data shows that the issue of obese and overweight Americans is an increasingly serious ocial problem. This is despite weight-loss campaigns such as Michelle Obama's Let's Move.
The Global Burden of Diisease recently listed the U.S. as the fattest country in the world. Its ranking was based on the 33 percent obesity rate among adults. .