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Despite efforts to sound the alarm about
obesity and diabetes in the US, rates of both conditions continue
to skyrocket.
Researchers at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia report that
in 2000, nearly 20% of American
adults were obese, 7.3% had diabetes and about 3% suffered
from both conditions.
The current findings indicate that most
US adults (more than 56%) are overweight, about 1 in 5 is
obese, and 7.3% have diabetes. They note that diabetes rates
could be as high as 10% if undiagnosed cases are considered.
Colorado had the lowest rate of obesity,
with about 14%, while Mississippi topped the scales with 24.3%
obesity or nearly 1 in 4 adults with a BMI of 30 or more.
Mississippi also heads the list as the
state with the highest rate of diabetes, at nearly 9%. Alaska
had the lowest rate, 4.4%.
The researchers explain that their findings
are conservative, largely due to the fact that overweight
people tend to underestimate their weight and all
people are likely to overestimate how tall they are.
In other findings, investigators report
that 27% of those surveyed
said that they did not engage in any physical activity
and 28% said they were "not regularly active."
The good news is that both obesity
and diabetes are largely preventable, and even
small reductions in weight can have big health benefits.
For instance, the authors point to a
recent study conducted in Finland where researchers found
that diet and exercise counseling resulted in a 58%
reduction in diabetes risk among people who were
prime candidates for developing the condition, which is associated
with obesity and sedentary lifestyle.
In that study, even modest weight loss
conferred a much lower risk of diabetes. Those who participated
in 4 hours of exercise per week -- even if they did not achieve
their weight-loss goal -- had a reduction in diabetes risk.
JAMA
September 12, 2001;286:1195-1200
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