Are 2/3 of Americans REALLY overweight/obese?
 

I saw someone quote this statistic in another thread and I'm just curious--who really believes this? It's based on BMI, which is highly inaccurate on an individual basis. What about the BMI change in 1998 that made 25 million Americans overweight overnight? I know this horse has been beaten to death, but I am overweight by BMI but have 30% body fat and a 29" waist. I wear a size 8/10.

I'm not saying there's not an obesity problem, especially in children, but I think that the "epidemic" aspect is overrated. Just curious what others think :)

I believe my eyes. ive been to the states for visits. Really big people live there. not just like normal kinda big like say 200lbs or 250lbs, but like 600lb ppl..and 400 lb ppl are like normal to see. at least from what I saw. and the food portions are truely ridiculous as well as the types of food eaten commonly. imo.

I really don't think 400-600 lb people are the norm, and I'm from the south, where everything is fried. At 225 lbs, I am quite often the fattest person in the room on campus.

I definitely think there's an epidemic. When I was growing up, I was one of maybe two or three fat kids in my grade. In college, I started to see more people who were my size or bigger. Now I very rarely feel out of place. I always see people who are my size or much much bigger.

BMI isn't the best measure of health but it's the simplest for the masses. It gives at least some sort of standard against which people can measure themselves. As with anything, people need to take that and see how fitting it is for their own bodies. As for the switch in 1998, it brought U.S. standards more in line with the standards of other parts of the world. There are countries with standards that are even stricter.

They were the norm for me to see when I was there. But I was only there for 4 months. But do I think americans are overweight and obese? I think a lot are. Obviously not all. But 2/3 sounds about right.

Yes, but there's a difference between, "I've seen some very large people" and "The majority of the people I see are large." Does "normal to see" mean that 1 out of every 3 people you saw looked obese? Or does it mean maybe 1 out of 20, which is totally different?

I made that claim. I had heard it before, but didn't actually look it up. However,this link:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm


From the CDC states that about 1/3 of adults over 20 are overweight and 1/3 are obese. So unless I am reading it wrong, 2/3 of this country are overweight/obese!

Chickie, I was questioning the statistic itself, not your quoting--I know it's the official number from the CDC. I just doubt the validity of the method used to come up with those numbers. No slight to you intended :)

Originally Posted by stella1609:
Yes, but there's a difference between, "I've seen some very large people" and "The majority of the people I see are large." Does "normal to see" mean that 1 out of every 3 people you saw looked obese? Or does it mean maybe 1 out of 20, which is totally different?

yea probably 1/3 of people I saw were bigger (ie obese) than a healthy weight. Not all were HUGE but a lot were say a size 14-18 range and probably 1/3 were way over that. I'd say that was the majority of women I saw. I think part of the issue is where we think overweight and obese starts and that could be a big cultural difference.

I didn't feel slotted. I just wanted to be sure I had heard it right in the first place!

I don't think a lot of people fall into the "my BMI puts me slightly into the overweight" zone. Some, but all 33% of overweight persons? What about the 1/3 that are statistically obese? There isn't much room to fudge that.... Even if we were being extra forgiving of the BMI numbers, I can't imagine the stats being even close to 50-50. When half or more of a country is overweight/obese, there is a problem.

The CDC says 2/3 people are overweight, and 1/3 are obese. So if only 1/3 of the people you saw were overweight, that's still less than the statistics say :)

Chickie, absolutely I think there is a problem as I said in my first post, I just feel like the problem is overstated frequently. It seems like the focus is on thinness and not health.

The norm will vary from location to location but overall, Americans as a whole are getting less healthy and more overweight/obese.

Originally Posted by stella1609:
The CDC says 2/3 people are overweight, and 1/3 are obese. So if only 1/3 of the people you saw were overweight, that's still less than the statistics say :)

reread what I said lol. when I said bigger I meant obese. not all the 1/3 overweight ppl are necessarily overweight if we just use our eyes and not bmi but certainly a lot had some 'extra junk in the trunk' :P that could be just 20lbs over or 30lbs. But the obese people were reaaaaaaally obese. I was 335lbs I know obese when i see it :P

To start with, I think BMI is completely false. However, I do believe there is an epidemic of obesity. Maybe its just the area I live in, but I can easily say probably 1 out of 3 people I see is overweight or obese. I don't mean just a few pounds either. I mean at least a good 50+ over a healthy weight. I'm trying to avoid becoming a statistic. :(

I believe it. Seeing "normal" weight people is becoming less and less common. Almost everyone I know is slightly overweight, including myself, and I'm in my early 30's, and I'm also in one of the healthier ranked states.

I work with kids from PreK-21 years and they are markedly larger than I remember when I was that age. Even looking at my daughter's elementary school I'm shocked at the number of overweight kids under 11 years old.

I see larger people everywhere but I think it's because I look for them, if that makes any sense. I am much more aware of people's size than I ever was before my weightloss this time around. But to say that 2/3rds are overweight or obese, that does seem to be a little high to me.

Children are another story. I have never seen so many chubbier toddlers and pre-schoolers. I'm hoping it's just that I look at more babies now (baby fever!!) and that they eventually grow out of it, getting taller and more active. I never paid attention to babies as much either as I have recently. :)

America is a funny place. I came to live here from England and the food is much tastier and fattening in England than in the US. The US has burgers and pizzas. The UK has all of that plus Indian takeouts, Turkish kebabs, scotch eggs, sausage rolls, cornish pasties, fish and chips, black pudding....you name it. Mad.

So, it is actually pretty easy to eat healthier in the US than a number of other places if you choose to do so, because there simply isn't the variety of junk (I know, surprising eh?).

The real issue is exercise. Very few people walk anywhere. It's drive here and drive there. So you either have to structure your exercise by going to a gym or going for a jog rather than just integrating it into daily life which is what people in most other countries do.

I am trying to walk a lot more in the US, even if that makes me look nuts. And you can look nuts because some sidewalks just end and you have to walk on the road! That's the kind of place it is.

I do believe that at least half of Americans are overweight. I'm basing that on what I see on a regular basis.

Having said that, I don't think 400+ lbs is the norm in the States.

I think it's possible. I do also think that a lot of those people fall into the slightly overweight BMI's(as I was until few lbs ago). I don't think most people who saw me would say I was overweight(of course I have no way of knowing because who would tell me?), but I knew I was.

I think BMI is flawed for taller people or those with very low body fat.

I'm also surprised that a lot of people are seeing more overweight kids. My son is in 4th grade, and if a kid is overweight they defintely stand out. I know a lot of these kids don't have the greatest eating habits(they give my son all their fruits and veggies at lunch because they don't eat them!) but in general they don't eat to excess and the majority are in at least one sport. I think starting in middle/high school not as many do sports and I'm sure it becomes more of a problem.

As a country, our portions are way too big and we don't move enough.

Originally Posted by stella1609:
I saw someone quote this statistic in another thread and I'm just curious--who really believes this? It's based on BMI, which is highly inaccurate on an individual basis. What about the BMI change in 1998 that made 25 million Americans overweight overnight? I know this horse has been beaten to death, but I am overweight by BMI but have 30% body fat and a 29" waist. I wear a size 8/10.

I'm not saying there's not an obesity problem, especially in children, but I think that the "epidemic" aspect is overrated. Just curious what others think :)

Where do you live? I lived in Sacramento area for a year and easily 2/3 of the population was overweight or obese. Where my parents live it's probably higher than that. Where I live now it's probably only 1/3. Your perception may be off based on your surroundings.

Also, I'm not saying you're wrong - but how did you come to the conclusion you're 30% body fat? Measuring body fat outside of a lab is no easy task.

Originally Posted by Cali Doll:
I do believe that at least half of Americans are overweight. I'm basing that on what I see on a regular basis.

Having said that, I don't think 400+ lbs is the norm in the States.

I was in Texas XD so maybe its an area thing

Originally Posted by stella1609:
It seems like the focus is on thinness and not health.

I agree that sometimes the two become entwined, but I do think that "unrealistic" beauty/body standards are a completely separate issue.

Originally Posted by Psychic:
To start with, I think BMI is completely false. However, I do believe there is an epidemic of obesity. Maybe its just the area I live in, but I can easily say probably 1 out of 3 people I see is overweight or obese. I don't mean just a few pounds either. I mean at least a good 50+ over a healthy weight. I'm trying to avoid becoming a statistic. :(

Why do you think that BMI is false? Yes, there are outliers, for example, very athletic, low body fat%, muscled people who's weight falls into the overweight range because of the way that their body is built, but truthfully that's not everyone. The BMI provides a standard measure that is accurate for most people. It works for the population in general.

Originally Posted by immaculate:
The norm will vary from location to location but overall, Americans as a whole are getting less healthy and more overweight/obese.

Yes, this!

OP: No, I don't think that the obesity epidemic in the US is overstated. Not at all. Obesity related illnesses are costing us billions of dollars in health care and who knows how many people are dying prematurely because of those illnesses.

I'm gonna throw in my two cents:

I think this statistic is easy to misinterpret based on where you live.
I have been on both sides of the coin. Most everyone is I see is fit or most everyone I see is morbidly obese.

Yes, but that is based on BMI and body weight which does not factor in anything other than whether you weigh more than a BMI of 25. My roommate (on the left) is technically a couple pounds "overweight" but she is obviously not a threat to taxpayers' health premiums - she eats healthy food, doesn't drink a lot or smoke, and swims, runs, bikes, and lifts weights. My boyfriend is almost "obese" but he's very muscular/actually "big boned" and is currently off skiing high peaks in northern Canada and goes on 20 mile/day week-long hikes - which someone who is unhealthy and unfit couldn't dream of doing.

John, I've lived in South Carolina, Texas, and currently in Missouri. My body fat measurement is based on my scale so I know those aren't super accurate, but the 29" waist measurement at least isn't open to interpretation :)

I feel like there should be better ways to evaluate the health of a population than BMI. Or maybe there's confusion about what "healthy" really is. What about studies that show overweight people by BMI (NOT obese, just overweight) can have longer lifespans? Outliers on EITHER end of the spectrum (too thin or too fat) just have more health problems--the confusing/contradictory part for me is where that "healthy" middle ground is located. Like maybe the average American is getting heavier, but our perception of a healthy weight is getting lighter, which sets us up for health and emotional issues due to too little body fat/trying to maintain weights that aren't healthy. I hope that makes sense, lol.

Originally Posted by CherryQuinn:
They were the norm for me to see when I was there. But I was only there for 4 months. But do I think americans are overweight and obese? I think a lot are. Obviously not all. But 2/3 sounds about right.

Where were you in the US? My highest weight is nearly 40 lbs shy of 400 lbs and I can tell you, I was the biggest person by a long shot in a lot of environments. I've only known 1 person personally who was 400 lbs or more and I've known a few more than were 300 lbs or more. I would say 200+ lbs isn't that unusual to see but 400+ lbs is pretty rare. You can see on this forum that we have a variety of people and sizes but I could probably count on 1 hand how many are 400+ and this is forum populated mostly by Americans (with some Canadians, UKers, and others around as well).

Originally Posted by :
What about studies that show overweight people by BMI (NOT obese, just overweight) can have longer lifespans?

Yeah, there are a lot of chronic conditions where you're dead without a few more pounds. Cancer can be one of them. There is no ideal weight, it's just the extremes that cause the problems. The rest is vanity.

Overweight and obesity is actually a pandemic... the problem goes far beyond just the United States unfortunately...

Originally Posted by nelie:
Where were you in the US? My highest weight is nearly 40 lbs shy of 400 lbs and I can tell you, I was the biggest person by a long shot in a lot of environments. I've only known 1 person personally who was 400 lbs or more and I've known a few more than were 300 lbs or more. I would say 200+ lbs isn't that unusual to see but 400+ lbs is pretty rare. You can see on this forum that we have a variety of people and sizes but I could probably count on 1 hand how many are 400+ and this is forum populated mostly by Americans (with some Canadians, UKers, and others around as well).

texas, wisconsin, idaho

By the medical definitions of obesity? Absolutely. I think that statistic is on the low side for many parts of the country now, in fact. Our eyes are skewed on size - I look very normal for the population, even on the 'fit' side, and am on the high end of the overweight BMI for my height and frame. Everywhere I look I see excess body fat in varying degrees on folks - very few people that would be classed as 'normal' size a decade ago (they now look super skinny to me!).

Originally Posted by CherryQuinn:
texas, wisconsin, idaho

That is odd then, I've been to Texas (not Wisconsin or Idaho) but generally the south has a bad reputation for level of obesity comparatively so I would've expected you to say somewhere in the SE. I saw a mix in Texas of athletic people and overweight/obese people but don't remember any extremely heavy people.

It can get a little big in DC as well. Although I was probably among the biggest five where I work in a building of 1000s.

Well I was referring to 400+ lb people. I'm not sure I've seen any in the DC area in the 8 years I've lived here? We also have a mix of athletic because a lot of people bike, hike, kayak, walk, etc. I've definitely seen some people nearly 300 lbs or a bit over.

You see 400 pound people on the metro from time to time. They take up two seats. I get two seats anyway because no one wants to sit next to a fat person.

XD I never said all of the ppl are 400+ but seeing a person that was that morbidly obese in the course of a day or even a few was not unusual while I was there.

I don't see 400+ people here except at Chinese buffets. Makes sense - most of the "public" is not friendly or accessible to people who are that big - can't fit in booths, on rides, in tightly packed bars, clothing stores...

Quinn - that's TX/Midwest/South for you. On the coasts many people are carrying around extra lbs but not like in the middle/bottom of the USA.

There seems to have a major arguing on what is overweight/obese/BMI thing going on.

What bothered me the most actually is the point where the ''epidemic'' thing was said overstated.

I honestly think that in a society where many family eat fast food on a usual basis and not just as a special treat from times to times, where child obesity rates keep on rising and rising, when more people every year have to deal with weight related health problem (diabetes and other), when people FIGHT to maintain their right to buy 16 oz and more soft drinks, yes, I think the word epidemic applies to the situation.

Just my opinion, though.

I just wish they would stop using scales to determine risk factors. There is a difference between 10 pounds overweight and inactive and 10 pounds overweight and active/fit.

But do I believe 2/3s of the population is overweight/obese. Yep. I sure do.

Originally Posted by TurboMammoth:
There seems to have a major arguing on what is overweight/obese/BMI thing going on.

What bothered me the most actually is the point where the ''epidemic'' thing was said overstated.

I honestly think that in a society where many family eat fast food on a usual basis and not just as a special treat from times to times, where child obesity rates keep on rising and rising, when more people every year have to deal with weight related health problem (diabetes and other), when people FIGHT to maintain their right to buy 16 oz and more soft drinks, yes, I think the word epidemic applies to the situation.

Just my opinion, though.

Okay, let's get the arguments straight - most folks 'fighting' to maintain their ability to buy the sodas aren't doing it for the drink's sake, but because of the very real issue with the government dictating public health and individual freedom of purchase based on arbitrary guidelines. It's a liberty issue, not a health issue, and I say this as someone who hasn't had a soda of that size in such a long time I can't even put a year on it!

That particular issue has nothing to do with public fatness and everything to do with drawing a line most sane people don't want their local government crossing over and regulating. The two are pretty unrelated, in terms of root cause, even if Nanny Bloomberg conflates them ;).

2/3 is a very fair assessment. Some parts of the US higher than others but like someone else said this is all over the world not just America..it's just fun for people to pick on us for some reason.