Thursday, January 14, 2010

Obesity Rates In America Hit A Plateau

A WSJ article suggest obesity in America has reached a FATeau plateau:



Figures from the National Center for Health Statistics showed 34% of American adults age 20 and older were obese in 2007-08 while 68% were considered overweight or obese. In children ages 2 through 19, 17% were considered obese while 32% were considered overweight. Broadly, the figures are similar to rates seen in 1999-2000.

---snip---

"I see this as relatively good news," said William Dietz, the director of CDC's division of nutrition, physical activity and obesity. "It suggests we've halted the progression of the epidemic."


I posit that it means no such thing. When damn near 70% of the adult population is overweight or obese, it's not a plateau. It means that everyone who's going to get fat already is fat (or well on their way). And the fattest are getting fatter.

Researchers did find an increase in the number of boys who are considered the "very heaviest," or those who are above the 97th percentile on a growth chart.

Plateau. Good grief. If you ever convince yourself that the obesity epidemic (as though it's catching) is over... just take a trip to your nearest Wal-Mart.

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