6 in 10 Americans Weigh too Much

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, October 09, 2002

6 in 10 Americans Weigh too Much

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New statistics reveal that a startling 64.5% of American adults, or more than 120 million people, are overweight or obese. The numbers probably will mean an explosion of diabetes and heart disease cases if things don't improve, top U.S. obesity experts say.

The number of Americans who are overweight is at the highest level ever recorded, USA Today reported Wednesday.

The data from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey is considered the most definitive assessment of Americans' weight because of the length and size of the study and because people's height and weight are actually measured. The statistics reveal that:

31%, or about 59 million adults older than 20, are obese. Obese is defined as 30 or more pounds over a healthy body weight; overweight is roughly 10 to 30 pounds over a healthy weight.

33% of adult women are obese, compared with 28% of men.

Being overweight has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, some types of cancer, arthritis and other health problems. Doctors already have reported an increase in diabetes cases in the USA, largely attributed to weight gain.

A rating of 25 or higher is considered overweight, 30 or higher is obese, and 40 or higher is extremely obese. For example, a 5-foot-8-inch person who weighs 190 pounds would be overweight; a person at the same height who weighs 230 pounds is obese.

Source: Agencies

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