posted 01/09/03
The prevalence of diabetes rose from 7.3% to 7.9%
According to a report published in the January
1st issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, from 2000 to 2001,
the prevalence of diabetes rose from 7.3% to 7.9%, an increase of 8.2%.
Concurrently, the prevalence of obesity among US adults increased from 19.8% to
20.9%, a relative increase of 5.6%.
The Study, the largest telephone survey of adults
in the United States, shows a continuing increase of obesity and diabetes in
both sexes, all ages, all races, all educational levels, and all smoking
levels, Said, Dr. Ali H. Mokdad and colleagues, from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, note.
The authors base their findings on surveys
conducted over the telephone with 195,005 randomly selected adults. Participants
reported their heights and weights, and whether they had a number of health
problems, including diabetes.
The findings indicate that more than 21 million
men and 23 million women living in the US are obese. The prevalence of obesity
among US adults has increased by 74% since 1991, according to the CDC.
However, the authors caution that the current
estimates of obesity are "no doubt substantial underestimates." People who are
poor, a condition linked to obesity, may have been underrepresented in the
study. Furthermore, people who are overweight tend to underestimate how much
they actually weigh, and many overestimate their heights.
"Because of the strong association between overweight and obesity and several well-established risk factors for morbidity and mortality, reversing the obesity epidemic is an urgent priority," the researchers add.
Source: Diabetes In Control Dot Com: JAMA 2002;289:76-79.
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