Study: Americans weigh at least 15 pounds more than 20 years ago
We're not getting any smaller.
A study released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates the average American weighs 15 pounds more now than 20 years ago.
The chronic consequences of an obese country are numerous, doctors say: high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which can lead to stroke, certain cancers and heart disease.
“We are dealing with a problem that will be here for a long time unless there's a major change,” said Dr. Marc Itskowitz, an internal medicine physician at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh's North Side. “These results, unfortunately, did not surprise me. This is the major health problem of the 21st century.”
The height and weight figures, published by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, compared data from 1988 through 2004 with figures for 2011 to 2014.
Researchers found the average 5-foot-9 man weighs slightly less than 196 pounds, while the average 5-foot-4 woman weighs nearly 169 pounds. Heights remained relatively unchanged during the past 20 years, but men and women weigh 15 to 16 pounds more than they did between 1988 and 1994.
Heavier people create a vicious cycle of illness and increased health care costs, experts said. Americans spend about $147 billion on obesity-related medical costs, according to the CDC.
“It all trickles down and it seems like no matter what efforts people make to reduce obesity, the numbers keep climbing,” said Dr. Jeffrey Gusenoff, co-director of UPMC's BodyChangers and Life After Weight Loss programs. “It's occurring in the United States and around the world, and it's disconcerting and frustrating.”
Gusenoff attributed the ever-growing problem to a fast-food culture, the rise of technology, sedentary lifestyles and overeating.
“Everything is really getting supersized,” he said. “People expect it. If someone goes to a restaurant and is served with a small portion, they think they are getting ripped off.”
American children are getting heavier, too, according to the CDC study. Boys weigh 13 pounds more than their counterparts of the same height during the study period; girls are seven pounds heavier.
“Pediatricians are going to be on the front lines of this epidemic,” Itskowitz said. “We can't wait until a patient presents obesity symptoms as an adult to address this problem.”
Children are not as active as they were in years past, he said.
“There are a lot more entertainment options inside the house, with electronics and digital devices,” Itskowitz said. “When I grew up, there were only three or four channels on TV, computers were slow ... you went outside for fun.”
There's no quick fix, Gusenhoff said, so recognition of the problem and social support programs must take precedence.
“People want the easy way out, but we need to teach people the right tools,” he said. “You have to have the motivation and support to become healthier. If you surround yourself with friends who like going to the gym to exercise, you're going to go and feel better. If everyone is going out for beer and wings, chances are you will, too.”
Ben Schmitt is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7991 or bschmitt@tribweb.com.
