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Facts & Figures

The Shape of the Nation: Fast Facts on Americans’ Health

Overweight and Obesity

Sixty-two percent of all Americans age 20 and older are overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity among adults has increased more than 75 percent since 1991.¹
Overweight and obesity are highest among African-American (77.2%) and Mexican-American (71.7%) females, and Mexican-American (73.1%) males. ²
There are more than 9 million overweight children between the ages of 6 and 19. The incidence of overweight among children has doubled -- and among teens has tripled -- since 1980. ^3,4
Between 70 and 80 percent of overweight children and adolescents continue to be overweight or become obese as adults. ⁵
Poor nutrition, lack of physical activity and being overweight can lead to complications such as elevated blood cholesterol and blood pressure, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis and joint problems, asthma, Type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, and sleep apnea. ⁶

Eating Habits and Trends

Research suggests that food eaten away from home, especially fast food, tends to be higher in fat, saturated fat and sodium and lower in fiber. ⁷
Americans’ spending on fast food increased 18-fold over the last 30 years, from $6 billion to $110 billion annually. ⁸
During a 15-year study, adults who ate fast food more than twice per week gained 10 pounds more than those who ate fast food less than once a week. ⁹
Between 1977 and 1997, adult consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increased by 61%. ¹⁰

Internet Support of Weight Loss

In Web-based weight loss programs, participants receiving tailored expert support¹¹ or a structured behavioral treatment program¹² showed significantly greater weight loss than those relying on Internet information alone.
Dieters assigned to an internet-based weight maintenance program sustained comparable weight loss over 18 months compared with those who continued to meet face-to-face. ¹³
Supplementing a dynamic, socially supportive Internet weight-loss treatment with monthly in-person meetings did not result in greater weight losses over 12 months than those relying on Internet support alone. ¹⁴
Adding e-mail counseling to a basic Internet weight loss intervention program significantly improved weight loss in adults at risk of diabetes. ¹⁵

Fitness

The majority of American adults (54.1%) do not engage in the recommended minimum amount of physical activity (30 minutes per day of moderate activity, 5 days per week or 20 minutes per day of vigorous activity, 3 days per week, as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association). ^16,17

¹ Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006.
² Hedley AA, Ogden CL, Johnson CL, Caroll MD, Curtin LR, Flegal KM. Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among US Children, Adolescents and Adults, 1999-2002. Journal of the American Medical Association 2004. 291:2847-2850.
³ Hedley AA, et al.
⁴ Ogden CL, Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Johnson CL. Prevalence and Trends in Overweight Among US Children and Adolescents, 1999-2000. Journal of the American Medical Association 2002. 288:1728-1732.
⁵ USDHHS 2001
⁶ United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. USDHHS 2001.
⁷ A National at Risk: Obesity in the United States. American Heart Association, 2005.
⁸ Schlosser E. Fast Food Nation. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.
⁹ Pereira MA, Kartashov AL, Ebbeling CB, et al. Fast-food habits, weight gain, and insulin resistance [the CARDIA study]: 15-year prospective analysis. Lancet 2005;365:4-5.
¹⁰ Schultze MB, Manson JE, Ludwig DS. Sugar-sweetened beverages, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged women. Journal of the American Medical Association 2004;292:927-34.
¹¹ Rothert K, Strecher VJ, Doyle LA, Caplan WM, Joyce JS, Jimison HB, Karm LM, Mims AD, Roth MA. Web-based weight management programs in an integrated health care setting: a randomized, controlled trial. Obesity 2006;14(2):266-72.
¹² Tate DF, Wing RR, Winett RA. Using Internet technology to deliver a behavioral weight loss program. Journal of the American Medical Association 2001;285(9):1172-7.
¹³ Harvey-Berino J, Pintauro S, Buzzell P, Gold EC. Effect of Internet support on the long-term maintenance of weight loss. Obesity Research 12:320-329 (2004)
¹⁴ Micco N, Gold B, Buzzell P, Leonard H, Pintauro S, Harvey-Berino J. Minimal in-person support as an adjunct to internet obesity treatment. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 2007;33(1):49-56.
¹⁵ Tate DF, Jackvony EH, Wing RR. Effects of Internet behavioral counseling on weight loss in adults at risk for type 2 diabetes: a randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association 2003;289(14):1833-6.
¹⁶US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Adult Participation in Recommended Levels of Physical Activity --- United States, 2001 and 2003. MMWR Weekly. 2005;54(47);1208-1212.
¹⁷Position of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. 2007. Available http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Media&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7769.