Next time you’re in any large crowd — at a movie theater, a football game or in the toy department of some store two days before Christmas — take a look around.
Odds are, every other adolescent you see, and three out of four adults, will be obese or overweight.
That’s the finding in a new, comprehensive study published in the prestigious journal The Lancet. It analyzed data from 132 unique sources in the United States to calculate weight trends from 1990 to 2021, finding three quarters of adults and half of adolescents are now too heavy. That’s more than 200 million people.
While the survey examined data no later than 2021, scientists are confident the numbers have not since fallen. Indeed, the study says numbers are expected to increase to 80% and 60%, respectively, in about 25 years.
The obesity epidemic is a brake on the average life expectancy in the U.S. Obesity is estimated to cause 335,000 deaths annually. Those extra pounds heighten the risk of many maladies, including diabetes, heart attack, stroke, cancer and even mental health disorders.
The related health care costs are enormous. By one estimate, the bill over the next decade will be an estimated $9.1 trillion.
It hasn’t always been so, of course. Rates of obese and overweight Americans have tripled since the 1960s.
While new weight-loss drugs and technologic innovations like mobile health apps have helped some shed the pounds, challenges like cost mean they don’t scale well.
To maintain a healthy weight, eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. Avoid processed items. Don’t overload your plate. And exercise regularly.
It’s a recipe for a longer life.
