There has never been a higher percentage of overweight Americans, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But there has rarely been a lower percentage of Americans who actually believe they are overweight.
The CDC found that 70.4 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Those levels are determined by a person’s body mass index. A person who is 5 feet 9 inches would be overweight at 170 pounds, which is a BMI of 25. Obesity is set at a BMI of 30, or 200 pounds for a person who is 5 feet 9 inches
The CDC study is disturbing, but the truly puzzling numbers were supplied in a recent Gallup poll that revealed only 36 percent of Americans believe they are overweight. That is the lowest figure since 1990, with the exception of the 34 percent charted in 2012. By comparison, in 1990, 56 percent of citizens were overweight and 48 percent believed that they were.
Both chronic and acute conditions are linked to obesity, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and some cancers. The CDC projects that 1 in 3 Americans will have diabetes by 2050 if trends continue.
No one wants to hear that he or she needs to lose a few pounds. But worse words would be: You have diabetes. Or: You have heart disease.
If a person can’t look in the mirror and see that there is a problem, then the loving or helpful thing that a family member or doctor can do is point out what should be obvious.
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