The most recent News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reveals that in 2009, joint pain was experienced by 58% of obese adults aged 20+ in the USA and nearly 69% of extremely obese adults.
In addition, researchers found that 15% of obese adults said they had diabetes, 42% reported having a heart condition, and 42% reported having high cholesterol. Among individuals classified as extremely obese (BMI of 40 or more), the percentages with diabetes or heart conditions were generally higher.
BMI (Body Mass Index) is a calculation of a person’s height and weight, and is categorized as follows:
- BMI from 18 to
In addition, results from the 2009 analysis of the prevalence of obesity revealed that:
- Adults were less likely to be obese (20%) or extremely obese (3%) if they had completed a college degree than high school graduates and those with less than a high school degree.
- 1 in 4 adults in the USA was classified as obese while 5% were classified as extremely obese.
- Compared with Hispanics, whites and all other races, which were primarily Asian, Black Americans were 31% more likely to be obese and 8% extremely obese than other racial or ethnic groups.
Written by Grace Rattue