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Obesity is common in adults and children.

About 1 in 3 adults in the United States are obese.^{1 2 3} That's about 75 million people. The same number again are overweight.³ The number of people who are overweight or obese had been going up for many years.³ It went up from 23 in 100 people in 1994 to 32 in 100 people in 2004.^{2 4}

The average American puts on about 20 pounds between the ages of 25 and 55.⁵

Obesity is more common in certain groups of people.

• Obesity is slightly more common in women than in men.^{1 6 3}
• It's especially common in Mexican-American women and African-American women. About half the women in these ethnic groups are obese.^{1 6 3}
• People from all backgrounds can get obese. But obesity is more common in people with lower incomes.⁷

Many American children also have serious weight problems.⁸

• Almost 9 million children and teenagers are overweight. That's about 1 in 7 children.
• About 1 in 10 preschool children (ages 2 to 5) are overweight.
• Three times as many children and teenagers are overweight compared with 25 years ago.

Each year, about 300,000 people in the United States die from conditions related to obesity.⁷ It's the second biggest cause of preventable death in the United States.⁹ (Smoking is the biggest cause.)

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.