Community Corner

Are Men and Women Gaining Weight in New Haven County?

Obesity is responsible for over 300,000 US deaths annually.

Written by Heather Martino

America’s battle with the bulge extends all the way to New Haven County, with obesity rates almost hitting 33 percent in 2011. Using the map above, you can see the rate was only 24.6 percent in 2001.

Obesity in the state of Connecticut increased as well, with close to an eight percentage point increase in the same time period.

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In 2011, obesity prevalence in the U.S. ranged from 20.7% in Colorado to 34.9% in Mississippi, according to the CDC.

The county figures on the map were obtained from a recent study from the University of Washington, which found that nationwide women are more obese than their male counterparts. 

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But men and women aren’t gaining weight at the same rate: In New Haven County, men reported a 7.9 percent increase, while women’s obesity rates rose 9.6 percent from 2001-2011.

According to the CDC, obesity affects more than one-third of adults, or 35.7 percent of the population in the United States. Obesity is calculated by measuring a person’s height and weight, and deriving at a ratio called the body mass index, or BMI. This number often correlates to an individual’s amount of body fat, and is used to ascertain whether a person is considered underweight, a normal weight, overweight or obese.

Obese individuals have a 50-100% increased risk of premature death, and it’s estimated that obesity may be the cause of 300,000 deaths per year according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Interestingly, Americans claim to be exercising more during the same time period that obesity climbed. 

“Around the country, you can see huge increases in the percentage of people becoming physically active, which research tells us is certain to have health benefits,” said IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray in a press release

Murray added that “If communities in the US can replicate this success and tackle the ongoing obesity impact, it will see more substantial health gains.”


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