More Obese Americans Today Than Overweight Adults, Study Warns

Calling for immediate intervention to combat obesity, a new study found that the number of obese Americans is higher than those overweight.

According to researchers at University of Washington in St. Louis, 67.6 million Americans over the age of 25 are obese while 65.2 million are said to be overweight. The study done during 2007-2012 showed that that nearly three-quarters of American adult men and 67 percent women are obese or overweight, compared to 63 percent men and 55 percent women in 1999.

"This is a wakeup call to implement policies and practices designed to combat overweight and obesity. An effort that spans multiple sectors must be made to stop or reverse this trend that is compromising and shortening the lives of many," said the study's first author, Lin Yang.

Yang and team found higher rates of obesity in African-American population, with nearly 57 percent obesity among women. The study also showed that 17 percent of black women were extremely obese with a body mass index (BMI) exceeding 40.

The study involved 15,208 adults aged over 25 years. Researchers suggested that public health experts should strive to implement efforts to prevent obesity and cut risk of other accompanied diseases.

"There are many things we can do to interrupt this worrisome and costly trend, and the benefits go well beyond what's obvious to the eye. Some cancers, for example, can be prevented by eating a healthy diet, exercising and keeping weight in check. We need to do what we can to change behaviors of current and future generations to reverse this preventable societal burden," said Graham A. Colditz deputy director of the university's Institute for Public Health.

The study has been published in JAMA Internal Medicine.