We're Not Getting as Fat, But We're Dying More of It

So we're not getting quite as fat.  But more of us are dying from it.

That's the consensus of a new report, according to Alexandra Sifferlin. "Obesity is more deadly than previously thought, but a nationwide survey shows that after rising for decades, rates have not increased for the first time in 30 years," she writes at time.com.

Only one state showed an increase in obesity rates, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report said, and that was Arkansas. All other states, while still having plenty of obese residents, stayed stable.  Not surprisingly (hey, they have the best food), the South had quite a few states with high obesity rates, as did some in the Midwest, and Pennsylvania (hmm, what's in the water THERE?).

Mississippi also handed over its crown for the state with the highest adult obesity rate to Louisiana, 34.7% of adults weighing in with a body mass index (BMI) above 30, Sifferlin reports.

Colorado is the thinnest state, with Connecticut not too far behind.

But here's the really bad news. "In 2000, no state had more than 25% obese residents, but in the latest report, at least 20% of residents in every state were obese and 13 states had adult obesity rates that top 30%," Sifferlin notes. And the rates of “extreme” obesity, which was defined as having a BMI of 40 or more, increased by 350%, she writes.

And here's another disturbing pattern among the obese: researchers have found that "obesity was to blame for 18% of deaths among black and white men and women between ages 40 and 85, which is higher than the 5% mortality previously attributed to being heavy," according to Sifferlin.

We all know why.  Obesity leads to heart disease and diabetes, which can result in kidney failure and amputation, and it's also been linked to cancer.  

Certainly it's good news that we're not getting fatter (sorry, Arkansas).  But looks like we have to work harder to live longer.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Herbal Supplements? Even Green Tea Extract Can Lead to Liver Damage

Take herbal supplements? You might want to listen up. A new study is warning that new information is showing that some supplements may damage the liver, along with over the counter drugs and even those prescribed by physicians, according to newswise.com. The rate of drug-induced liver injury (DILI), a rare adverse drug reaction which is challenging to diagnose -- and which can lead to jaundice, liver failure and even death -- is increasing more and more.  Experts put it down to the overwhelming use of herbal supplements and other drugs in the last 10 years.  “A lot of consumers have a preconceived notion that if it’s a natural product, it must be safe. But that is not necessarily the case,” the Web site quotes Herbert Bonkovsky, MD, FACG, co-author of the guidelines. “Most of these products are not well-regulated and have very little oversight. Traces of heavy metals and prescription drugs have even been found in some herbal and dietary supplements. We encourage patients to
Read more

Social Media Replacing Human Contact? Nah

I used to think my son only talked to his "girlfriend" (did I mention he'll be 12 in June?) in school.  Then I happened to walk by his computer and saw her on his screen.  They Skype.  About three hours a day.  Then I got it.  It's real.  Kids mostly communicate electronically these days. But Joe McKendrick at smartplanet.com believes there are reasons social media won't completely replace face-to-face interactions.  For one, there's less distraction.  If you're sitting at your computer, you're scanning for emails or googling or watching the news, in addition to talking to someone.  When you're actually with someone, it's harder to do this -- though, Joe, are you living on Mars? Have you never seen a teen texting at the table, while talking to you, or God forbid, driving? Most of McKendrick's points have to do with the office, and meeting in person to do business rather than connecting online.  I have to admit here, it makes sense.  He
Read more

Be Humble. Your Employees May Work Harder

You wouldn't know it from our current crook- er - commander-in-chief but it pays to be humble , new research is showing. It’s good to be humble when you’re the boss – as long as that’s what your employees expect, according to newswise.com. Researchers studying workplaces in China found that some real-life teams showed more creativity if the employees rated their bosses as showing more humility. “Whether leader humility is a good thing really depends on the team members’ expectations,” says  Jia (Jasmine) Hu , lead author of the study and associate professor of  management and human resources  at The Ohio State University’s  Fisher College of Business . Humble leaders are most effective when team members expect a low degree of distance between the leaders and followers, Hu explains. When there is "low power distance" (I assume, this means when the boss is humble), employees share power with their boss in a collaborative way. But humility may be seen as a weaknes
Read more