AMERICA'S OBESITY EPIDEMIC
* Today, 1 in 3 adults and 1 in 5 children struggle with obesity.
* In 2008, 32 states in America had obesity rates of 25 percent or more, according to the CDC.
* The rate of childhood obesity more than doubled from 1980 to 2000; 30 states have child obesity rates of 30 percent or more.
OBESITY'S IMPACT ON AMERICA'S HEALTH
* Obesity is linked to more than 60 chronic diseases.
* According to the American Cancer Society, obese adults are at increased risk for all cancers.
* Obesity contributes to two-thirds of all heart disease, according to the CDC.
* 66 percent of American adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis are overweight or obese.
* Over 75 percent of hypertension cases are directly related to obesity.
* More than 80 percent of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OBESITY * For every dollar spent on health care in America, 83 cents is spent on a patient that is overweight or obese, according to Health Affairs Journal and RAND.
* The health costs of obesity in the U.S. were as high as $147 billion in 2008, according to a recent study by RTI and the CDC.
* Obesity was responsible for 39 million lost work days and 63 million physician visits, according to statistics from the National Business Group on Health.
OBESITY'S IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES OF NEED
* Blacks, Hispanics and Native people are much more likely to be obese than whites, according to CDC data.
* Low-income neighborhoods are more affected by obesity than affluent areas, reflecting a range of policy and cultural influences.
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 for an hour or more every day.
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.
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