
As US obesity epidemic grows, new study shows who is gaining weight over the last decade
Research looked at the long-term weight gain of more than 13,800 U.S. adults -- a rare data point unearthed in obesity research. The study shows more than half of American adults gained 5% or more body weight over a 10-year period and more than a third of American adults gained 10% or more body...
www.sciencedaily.com
As far as age goes, the greatest gains in weight were found in young and middle-aged adults; less weight is gained as age increases. According to the data, on average Americans gain the following weight:
- 17.6 pounds between their 20s and 30s
- 14.3 pounds between their 30s and 40s
- 9.5 pounds between their 40s and 50s
- 4.6 pounds between their 50s and 60s
"In roughly 20 years, the prevalence of obesity increased by approximately 40% and severe obesity almost doubled," Tucker said. "By knowing who is more likely to become obese, we can help health care providers and public health officials focus more on at-risk individuals."
NHANES is a CDC-sponsored series of studies that began in the early 1960s and became a continuous program in 1999.
Using the NHANES data, the study also found that 10-year weight gain was significantly greater in women than in men, with women gaining about twice as much weight: 12 pounds on average for women compared to 6 pounds for men. Weight gain also differed across races, with Black women experiencing the greatest average weight gain over the 10-year period (19.4 pounds) and Asian men experiencing the least (2.9 pounds).