Center for Health Transformation Georgia Project

Majority of Americans Still Either Overweight or Obese but More Americans are Now Normal Weight than Overweight

According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, a daily assessment of U.S. residents' health and well-being, the percentage of Americans who are at a normal weight is higher than those who are overweight — that's not counting those who are recognized as obese.  The study divides participants into three groups: those at a normal weight, those overweight and those who are obese and follows the trends. 

The latest index report shows that 36.6 percent of Americans are at a normal weight, 35.8 percent are overweight and 25.8 percent are categorized as obese.  The overweight and normal weight trend lines have tracked closely together since Gallup and Healthways started daily monitoring of Americans' weight situation in January 2008. The recent slight decline in the nation's obesity rate is a positive contrast to the rising levels found in 2009 and throughout most of 2010.

Black Americans, the middle-aged, and those with low incomes remain the most likely to be obese across major demographic subgroups in all three quarters of 2011.  Although the majority of Americans are still overweight or obese (61.6%), it is an encouraging sign that obesity rates are trending downward in the U.S. and among demographic subgroups. Future monitoring, however, is needed to determine whether this is a temporary trend.

Spanish Version of the MyPlate Icon

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month [Sept. 15 and runs through Oct. 15] the U.S. Department of Agriculture introduced a Spanish version of the MyPlate icon. 

From the CDC Fact Sheet 'Prevalence of Diabetes among Hispanics In Six U.S. Geographic Locations:'
Diabetes disproportionately affects Hispanics in the United States. Where Hispanics reside may be a key factor in how diabetes impacts their lives. Differences in access to quality health care, social and cultural factors, or the genetic makeup of the Hispanic population in a specific area may explain disparities in diabetes prevalence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study to examine the prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics in six U.S. geographical areas from 1998 to 2002.
Key Findings

• Among U.S. regions with the greatest proportion of Hispanic residents—California, Florida, Illinois, New York/New Jersey, Texas, and Puerto Rico—the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes among adults18 and older was 7.4 percent.
• Prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics varied by region from 6.2 percent in Illinois and New York/New Jersey to 9.3 percent in Puerto Rico.
• Diabetes tends to strike Hispanics at younger ages than the non-Hispanic white population. California had the highest rate of diabetes among younger Hispanics. Among adults aged 18 to 44 years, 3.2 percent of Hispanics had diagnosed diabetes compared with 1.3 percent of non-Hispanic whites in that age group.
• The Hispanic population in the United States is younger the non-Hispanic population. When accounting for the different age distributions, the overall prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics was almost twice that of non-Hispanic whites (9.8 percent vs. 5.0 percent).  
• In all geographic areas, diabetes rates increased with age. Illinois had the highest rates among middle-aged adults aged 45-54 years (15.9 percent vs. 4.6 percent) and among adults aged 65 years and older (25.8 percent vs.15.0 percent)
• Prevalence of diabetes decreased with higher education levels. Among Hispanics with less than a high school education, 11.8 percent had diabetes compared to 7.0 percent of college graduates.