American obesity rate steady?

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It seems that obesity may have leveled off. U.S. obesity rates level off: CDCLast Updated: Thursday, November 29, 2007 | 9:00 AM ET The Associated Press Obesity rates in U.S. women seem to be staying level, and the rate in men may also be hitting a plateau, according to a new government report released Wednesday. With more than 72 million Americans counted as obese, adult obesity rates for both sexes seem to be holding steady at about 34 per cent, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The rates are still too high, said Mark Swanson, a researcher who studies childhood obesity and school nutrition at the University of Kentucky's College of Public Health. "Until the numbers start to go the other direction, I don't think we can consider this a success at all," he said. The adult obesity rate has generally been climbing since 1980, when it was 15 per cent. The entire adult population has grown heavier, and the heaviest have become much heavier in the last 25 years. Obesity is major risk factor for heart disease, certain types of cancer and Type 2 diabetes. The CDC's new report is based on a comprehensive survey by the federal government that includes physical examinations. The results are based on what was found in about 4,400 adults 20 and older in 2005 and 2006. About 33 per cent of men and 35 per cent of women were obese. The new rates were slightly higher than the 31 per cent and 33 per cent reported in 2003-2004 surveys. However, in generalizing the results to the U.S. population, researchers calculated a margin of error that swallows up the differences between years. In other words, the increases were not

considered statistically significant. The obesity rate for women has been about steady since 1999-2000, at about 33 per cent. But the male rate trended up, from 27.5 per cent in 1999-2000. The new CDC report compared data over four years. While it looks like the male rate is levelling off, more years will be needed to confirm a trend, said Dr. Dietz, a CDC expert. If there is a trend, perhaps women are having an influence on the eating and exercise habits of men, Dietz added. More physical activity reported So what might be behind levelling adult rates? Increased exercise is one possibility. Last week, the CDC released results of a national telephone survey that found that about half of men and women reported getting regular physical activity in 2005, an increase from the rates

reported in 2001. Physical activity prevents new cases of obesity, but it's not clear that explains the new findings, CDC officials said. Experts believe a reduction in the consumption of high-calorie and fatty foods has an impact. Some restaurants have cut back their super-size servings in recent years and that may be helping, said J. , a senior research analyst for the Center for Consumer Freedom, a non-profit coalition of restaurants and food companies. -- Al Pater, alpater@...

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