How serious is the crisis?
Americans are collectively gaining weight at an alarming rate, with the average adult weighing about 15 pounds more than 20 years ago. In defining obesity, nutritionists focus on body mass index: A healthy person has a BMI of 18.5 to 24, while an obese person has a BMI above 30. Today, about 40 percent of U.S. adults and nearly 20 percent of children are obese, a surge reflected worldwide, with more people now overweight or obese (1.9 billion) than underfed (800 million). In 1985, no state in the U.S. had an obesity rate above 15 percent; now every state’s is higher than 20. Excess weight is a major factor driving runaway medical costs. Obesity-related diabetes alone “will break the bank of our health-care system,” said University of Colorado nutrition expert James Hill. “Obesity may be the toughest social issue that we have ever faced.”