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SALT LAKE CITY — In 2013, the percentage of obese adults hit 27.1 percent, the highest rating Gallup and Healthways have seen so far. But it hasn’t just been last year. The percentage of obese adults have gradually been increasing. Within the past six years, two-thirds of U.S. citizens have higher BMI values than what was recommended.
The results from the survey included daily weight tracking for all different groups, including groups based on race, annual income, age, the area of the U.S. they live in and gender. The 178,072 adult citizens who were interviewed from adults in all 50 states and from the District of Columbia were chosen at random.
Adults are considered obese if they have a BMI value of 30 or more, which is then divided into three classes. The first class is for BMI values of 30.00 to 34.99, second class is BMI values of 35.00 to 39.99, and the third class is BMI values of 40.00 and higher. Adults who fall in the the third class are considered "morbidly obese."
Overall, the percentage of adults with BMI values in all three classes have hit its highest. Since 2011, the percentage of adults who were placed in the third class has slowly risen, and in 2013 it hit the highest percentage of 3.8 percent. The percentage of adults who had BMI values within the second class have also risen and hit its record high of 6.3 percent. The percentage of adults with BMI values within the first class has varied, but its recent percentage of 17.1 percent is also the highest percentage it has been.
Gallup and Healthways noticed that eating habits worsened and adults started exercising less in 2013, which may have contributed to the increase in obesity. They concluded, “That the obesity rate increased across almost all demographic groups in 2013 suggests this is not an issue in one region, age group or income bracket; it is a national problem.” Kailey McBride is a student at BYU-Idaho with a major in English and an emphasis in professional writing. Email: mcbridekailey@yahoo.com.
