Highest Rates of Obesity, Diabetes in the South, Appalachia, and Some Tribal Lands; Estimates of Obesity Now Available for All U.S. Counties

Wide sections of the Southeast, Appalachia, and some tribal lands in the West and Northern Plains have the nation′s highest rates of obesity and diabetes, according to estimates released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In many counties in those regions, rates of diagnosed diabetes exceed 10 percent, and obesity prevalence is more than 30 percent.

The estimates, in this week′s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, are the first to provide county-level snapshots of obesity across the United States. They also update diabetes county-level estimates released in 2008.

Eighty-one percent of counties in the Appalachian region, which includes Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, have high rates of diabetes and obesity. So do three-quarters of counties in the southern region, which includes Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina.

"Diabetes is costly in human and economic terms, and it′s urgent that we take action to prevent and control this serious disease," said Dr. Ann Albright, director of CDC′s Division of Diabetes Translation [pictured]. "The study shows strong regional patterns of diabetes, and can help focus prevention efforts where they are most needed."

The estimates come from the agency′s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System [BRFSS], which uses self-reported data from state-based adult telephone surveys, and 2007 Census information. The information may help public health workers, health care providers, community organizations, and policymakers focus on high-risk regions to prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications, as well as other chronic diseases linked to obesity -- e.g., heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.

The proportion of U.S. adults who are obese was 26.1 percent in 2008, according to BRFSS data. CDC estimates that nearly 8 percent of the population, or about 24 million people, have diabetes. Of these, 5.7 million are undiagnosed.

"The small-area estimates for obesity will be an important tool to help communities better understand and battle this serious public health problem," said Dr. William H. Dietz, director of CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. "Communities are in the best position to prevent and reduce obesity among their citizens through innovative programs."

The medical costs of obesity reached an estimated $147 billion in 2008, and the medical costs of diabetes were $116 billion. People with diagnosed diabetes have medical costs that are 2.3 times higher than those without the disease.

Obesity is one of several factors linked to type 2 diabetes. Where people live, how much money they earn, their culture and their family history also play a role. An unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and socioeconomic factors contribute to both obesity and type 2 diabetes, as well as to complications of diabetes. Some population groups also are at higher risk, including a number of racial and ethnic minorities.

CDC and its partners are working on a variety of initiatives to prevent type 2 diabetes and to reduce obesity. CDC has recommended 24 community strategies to prevent obesity -- from providing greater access to healthy foods, to redesigning communities to encourage more physical activity.

The agency is also in a new partnership with state, federal, and nonprofit agencies targeting health disparities in Mississippi, which has the nation′s highest obesity rate and one of the highest rates of diabetes. CDC′s national diabetes prevention and control program provides resources and technical assistance to state health departments, national organizations, and communities.

To see county-level estimates of obesity and diagnosed diabetes, go to www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics.

For more information on diabetes and preventing the disease, visit www.cdc.gov/diabetes.

To learn more about CDC′s efforts in the fight against obesity or for more information about nutrition, physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight, go to www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Dr. Sanjay Gupta's 'Cheating Death' Special Debuts Oct. 17; CDC Reports Continued Rise in Obesity

This weekend, neurosurgeon and CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, M.D., explores the world of physicians whose work promises to stretch survival time -- and, possibly even, to reverse the process of dying. They, and their patients, are cheating death.

The program, titled "Another Day: Cheating Death," follows just days after the release of Dr. Gupta's latest book, "Cheating Death: The Doctors and Medical Miracles That Are Saving Lives Against All Odds," which is already a bestseller on Amazon. The show debuts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, and again at 11 p.m. On Sunday, Oct. 18, "Cheating Death" airs at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. [NOTE: All times Eastern.]

CDC: Obesity Among U.S. Adults Continues to Rise
One way to "cheat death" is to control obesity, which is related to about 20 major diseases; e.g., heart disease, diabetes, cancer.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] reported that the prevalence of obesity is 25 percent or higher in 32 U.S. states. In fact, the proportion of U.S. adults who are obese increased to 26.1 percent in 2008, compared to 25.6 percent in 2007. The data come from CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System [BRFSS], a state-based phone survey that collects health information from adults aged 18 and over.

In six states -- Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia -- adult obesity prevalence was 30 percent or more. Thirty-two states, including those six, had obesity prevalence of 25 percent or more. Only one state, Colorado, had a prevalence of obesity less than 20 percent. But no state showed a significant decrease in obesity prevalence from 2007 to 2008.

More than 400,000 U.S. adults were surveyed in the 2008 BRFSS, which is the world’s largest telephone health survey. To assess obesity prevalence, survey respondents are asked to provide their height and weight, which is used to calculate their body mass index [BMI]. A person is considered obese if they have a BMI of 30 or above.

"Obesity is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes," said Dr. William Dietz, director, CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. "As obesity increases among all age groups, we are seeing chronic diseases in much younger adults, compared to a few decades ago. For example, we now see young adults who suffer from heart disease risk factors and other conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, that were unheard of in the past."

For more information on obesity trends, including an animated map, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html.

SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CNN [photo], U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Obesity Among U.S. Adults Continues to Rise; Obesity Prevalence 25 Percent or Higher in 32 States

The proportion of U.S. adults who are obese increased to 26.1 percent in 2008, compared to 25.6 percent in 2007. The data come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System [BRFSS], a state-based phone survey that collects health information from adults aged 18 and over.

In six states -- Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia -- adult obesity prevalence was 30 percent or more. Thirty-two states, including those six, had obesity prevalence of 25 percent or more. Only one state, Colorado, had a prevalence of obesity less than 20 percent. But no state showed a significant decrease in obesity prevalence from 2007 to 2008.

More than 400,000 U.S. adults were surveyed in the 2008 BRFSS, which is the world’s largest telephone health survey. To assess obesity prevalence, survey respondents are asked to provide their height and weight, which is used to calculate their body mass index [BMI]. A person is considered obese if they have a BMI of 30 or above.

"Obesity is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes," said Dr. William Dietz [pictured], director, CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. "As obesity increases among all age groups, we are seeing chronic diseases in much younger adults, compared to a few decades ago. For example, we now see young adults who suffer from heart disease risk factors and other conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, that were unheard of in the past."

The 2008 BRFSS obesity data indicate that none of the 50 states, nor the District of Columbia, has achieved the Healthy People 2010 goal of reducing obesity prevalence to 15 percent or less.

"The latest BRFSS survey data show that the obesity problem in this country is getting worse," said Liping Pan, CDC epidemiologist and lead author of the 2008 BRFSS obesity map analysis. "If this trend continues, we will likely see increases in health care costs for obesity-related diseases."

For more information on obesity trends, including an animated map, visit www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html.

SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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