The Time is NOW to Support Healthier Schools (12/13/2007)

Congressional Briefing on Physical Activity and Academic Achievement (11/28/2007)

CEO Urges Caution in Interpreting Results of New Study (11/7/2007)

Senator Harkin Introduces FIT Kids Act (10/18/2007)

2007 Farm Bill - Act Now to Help Fight Obesity (10/5/2007)

More Alerts

AMERICA'S OBESITY EPIDEMIC:

• According to projections, 73 percent of American adults could be overweight or obese by 2008.
  
• The rate of childhood obesity more than doubled from 1980 to 2000.
  
• More than 9 million children are overweight or obese.

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OBESITY:

• According to Health Affairs Journal and RAND, 83 cents of every health care dollar in America is spent on a patient that is overweight or obese.
  
• According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the total cost of obesity in the U.S. is $117 billion each year.
  
• Statistics from the National Business Group on Health indicate that obesity was responsible for 39 million lost work days and 63 million physician visits.

OBESITY AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY:

• 52 percent of adults do not meet minimum physical activity recommendations.
  
• Only 35.8 percent of high school students are physically active 60 minutes or more, 5 days per week; only 33 percent attend physical education classes daily.

OBESITY AND NUTRITION:

• Only 12 percent of adults and 2 percent of children eat a healthy diet consistent with federal nutrition recommendations.
  
• According to the USDA, healthier diets could prevent at least $71 billion per year in medical costs, lost productivity and lost lives.

OBESITY RISK FOR MINORITY POPULATIONS:

• Nearly 30 percent of Mexican-American men are obese.
  
• 81.6 percent of black women and 75.4 percent of Mexican-American women are overweight or obese compared to 58 percent of white women.
  
• Type 2 Diabetes affects half of the Pima Indians.

OBESITY'S IMPACT ON AMERICA'S HEALTH:

• According to the American Cancer Society, obese adults are at increased risk for all cancers especially endometrial, gall bladder, uterine, ovarian, colorectal and prostate.
  
• According to the CDC, obesity contributes to two-thirds of all heart disease.
  
• Over 75 percent of hypertension cases are directly related to obesity.
  
• More than 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.
  
• 66 percent of American adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis are overweight or obese.