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Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States.
About one-third of U.S. adults are now considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are 12 states where 30 percent or more of the adult population is obese. As recently as 2009, there were only nine states with adult obesity rates that high. In 2000, there were none.
The rate of childhood obesity has reached 17 percent, the CDC says. It has tripled since 1980.
Obesity is defined as having a body mass index of 30 or more, said Dr. Mel Roca, M.D., a family practitioner at the Alegent Health Clinic – West Broadway. A BMI of 25 to 30 means someone is overweight.
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Reprinted with permission of Nonpareil.com
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