New Study Determines That in the Past 20 Years Obesity in America Increased by 40% and Severe Obesity Almost Doubled

Recently released statistics from a new study detail the problem of obesity in the United States and its continued rise. The findings published in the Journal of Obesity looked at the long-term weight gain of almost 14,000 adults in the U.S. and they revealed some startling conclusions.




According to the research, one-fifth of American adults gained 20% of their body weight or more over a 10-year period, with more than a third gaining 10% or more and over half gaining 5% of more. On average, Americans gain 17 pounds between the ages of 20 and 39 and an average of 45 pounds during their lifetime.

"In roughly 20 years, the prevalence of obesity increased by approximately 40% and severe obesity almost doubled," said Larry Tucker, a Professor of Exercise Science at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. "Without question, 10-year weight gain is a serious problem within the U.S. adult population,"

More and more studies point to the fact that self-measuring (stepping on a scale) on a regular basis can have an impact on helping with weight loss or preventing weight gain. A recent review of those studies found that in 11 of the 12 reviewed studies more frequent self-weighing was associated with greater weight loss or weight gain prevention. Specifically, individuals who reported self-weighing weekly or daily, typically over a period of several months, held a 1 to 3 kg/m2 (2.2 to 6.6 pounds) advantage over individuals who did not self-weigh frequently.

The iScale from Smart Meter is an easy way for a person and their provider to track weight in real time. The cellular-enabled iScale sends results instantly through the AT&T IoT network to the provider's electronic health record (HER) system. And the person weighing in can also view their results in an online portal to track trends.

SOURCE Smart Meter, LLC