Rates of obesity in developing countries have tripled in the last 20 years, and American obesity rates are the highest in the world:
- 64 percent of United States adults are overweight or obese
- In 2007, all but one state had a prevalence of obesity higher than 20 percent
- According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one-third of American children and adolescents are overweight or obese
While obesity can often result in negative self-image, discrimination and social stigma, its most profound implications are health-related. Obesity is a direct contributor to disorders that include coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, stroke, and certain types of cancer. As a result of these diseases related to obesity, the United States is projected to experience its first ever decline in life expectancy despite advances in medical and pharmaceutical technology.
The economic implications of obesity are staggering. In the United States, the cost of obesity has risen to an estimated 10 percent of all medical spending, and is estimated to have been almost $147 billion in 2008.
The burden of obesity-related medical costs falls disproportionately on public health care in the United States, draining resources from public programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Obesity accounted for 27 percent of the growth in real United States health care spending between 1987 and 2001. Recent estimates indicate that in 2008 8.5 percent of Medicare spending, 11.8 percent of Medicaid spending, and 12.9 percent of private payer spending could be attributed to obesity.
