Reportedly, adult obesity rates witnessed an upward trend in the US from 1980 to 1999. According to a subsequent report, obesity rates and BMI fluctuations have been consistent between 1999 and 2010.
This study is part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), where the team analyzed data from the 1999 and 2008 survey. Around 5,926 adult males and females in the US had their weights and heights measured for the trial.
As per the outcomes, the rate of obesity was 35.7% among adult men and 35.8% amidst adult women. In the span of 12 years, there seemed to be no substantial rise in the obesity rates of women. However, females from non-Hispanic black and Mexican American origins encountered higher rates of obesity.
In case of men, there appeared to be a linear trend in obesity rates. Moreover, the last 2 years from 2009 to 2010 did not witness significant differences in obesity scenarios for both the sexes.
As for the BMI, the mean was 27.8 in men and 27.3 for women, with the trends being similar to those observed in obesity. Notably, all these figures had been adjusted for age and race.
Thus, the team concluded that obesity rates between 2009 and 2010 remained stable compared to earlier observations. For the study, a BMI of 30 or higher was regarded as obese.
The study is published in the Journal of American Association (JAMA).