Increasing Obesity Amongst Americans And Why

Overall, many measures suggest that Americans have become less healthy in important ways over the last 50 years, even as medical care has improved and people often live longer. Health trends are complex, but compared with around the 1970s, the U.S. now faces higher rates of obesity, chronic disease, and related health burdens. Here’s how major health indicators have changed.

Obesity in the adult U.S. population has more than tripled since the early 1960s. In the 1960s, about 13 % of Americans were obese; today the rate is around 40 %. Severe obesity has risen even more sharply. Childhood obesity has also increased (from about 5 % in the early 1970s to over 20 % in recent years). Rising obesity contributes to other health problems such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular risk, and joint issues. Chronic diseases — including diabetes and obesity — have risen in prevalence among adults, with obesity increasing significantly in recent decades.

Reports show rising risk factors like high blood pressure and diabetes contribute to a growing burden of chronic illness. Deaths from acute heart attacks have dramatically declined — a major public health success. But other forms of heart disease like heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, and arrhythmias have increased due in part to chronic conditions that are themselves linked to obesity and metabolic risk.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. overall. Life expectancy in the U.S. has increased over the long term (from about 70.9 years in 1970 to around 77.5 years in recent data).

However, gains in healthy life expectancy are slowing, with many Americans living more years with disability or chronic illness. Some research shows Americans spend many years in poor health before death compared to other countries.

Rising obesity and chronic disease can slow life expectancy gains and widen health disparities between groups. Health outcomes vary widely by education, income, and geography, with less-educated and lower-income groups often experiencing worse health and higher mortality. AIso, increased chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension) More years lived with disability and health complications.