Newly published studies by researchers at the BYU School of Exercise Science provide crucial, rarely-available data detailing the extent of America’s obesity epidemic. The paper, published in The Journal of Obesity, examined long-term weight gain among over 13,800 American adults, a rare data point uncovered in obesity studies.
They found that over half of American adults in the study gained 5% or more of their body mass in ten years.
More than one-third of American adults gained 10% or more body weight, and nearly one-fifth gained 20% or more.
If adults gained an average weight in each decade of their adult lives, they would gain over 45 pounds, pushing many into the obesity category. According to data from the Department of Health and Human Services and CDC, 42.4% of American adults are now obese, up significantly from 30.5% in 2000.