December 15, 2020 — It’s been a busy week of new statistics on obesity from CDC. The Centers released new data on childhood obesity trends for the U.S. Of course, the overall trend is up. Almost one in five youth (19 percent) ages 2-12 have a BMI in the range of obesity. But it’s worth digging a bit deeper […]
December 14, 2020 — New stats on overweight, obesity, and severe obesity are out from the CDC. We already knew the topline numbers for obesity. On that score, the U.S. reached a record high of 42.3 percent in 2018. But this new release paints a more complete picture. Overall, it suggests we might maxing out on the combined prevalence […]
October 11, 2020 — This week, the CDC added overweight to its list of conditions that might bring increased risk for severe symptoms with COVID-19. By that, the agency means anyone with a BMI between 25 and 30. For a BMI of 30 and above, CDC does not mince words. Your risk is higher. Think about it. This means […]
June 27, 2020 — Early in the pandemic, CDC identified a higher risk for severe symptoms with COVID-19 in people with severe obesity. This week, the agency broadened its guidance to include all individuals with a BMI of 30 or greater. This is the epidemiologic benchmark for obesity – severe or not. What’s more, it’s a benchmark that describes […]
February 28, 2020 — Here we go again. New data from CDC on obesity prevalence gives us more of the same bad news we’ve been getting for decades. More rising prevalence. The rate of adult obesity in the U.S. rose above 40 percent for the first time ever, reaching 42.4 percent in 2018. For severe obesity, the prevalence is […]
January 30, 2020 — U.S. life expectancy had been dropping for three years in a row. But new data from CDC tells us that the decline has taken a pause this year. CDC issued a pair of data briefs today that showed a pause in two troubling trends. Life expectancy ticked up slightly in 2018 after three years of […]
April 15, 2019 — We’re not especially fond of rankings for obesity. They can spark sensationalism. Back in 2008, journalists had great fun with a CDC report that identified Huntington, WV, as “America’s fattest city.” Jamie Oliver swooped in to offer an enlightened diet to the city and its children. He sobbed for the cameras when the city didn’t […]
July 2, 2018 — How can this be? Reporters tell us that Americans are exercising more while obesity rates are increasing. It was the latest National Health Interview Survey data that prompted reporters to write such headlines. Between 2006 and 2017, the percentage of adults who say they meet aerobic exercise guidelines went from 41% to 53%. The numbers […]
June 13, 2018 — It turns out that advertising for Philadelphia Cream Cheese captures a slice of reality – chow time at work. In a new study presented at Nutrition 2018, CDC researchers found that many workers routinely get a big chunk of empty calories from office food. In fact, 22% of workers get nearly 1,300 calories from workplace […]
October 17, 2017 — Hope and facts live together in an uneasy relationship. We have an excellent example before us as we digest the latest trends in childhood obesity. Specifically, we’re looking at the prevalence in children between the ages of two and five. In new statistics for 2016, the number reached a new high: 13.9%. Perhaps you recall […]
