The difference between “fit” & “fat” is more than a letter…

If you aren’t a visual learner, and seeing obese people everywhere has become too familiar a sight(mare), perhaps working with numbers will elicit a more appropriately shocked response. Below you will find a slew of verbatim statistics and figures researched by Get America Fit Foundation.

USA Obesity Rates Reach Epidemic Proportions

• 58 Million Overweight; 40 Million Obese; 3 Million morbidly Obese
• Eight out of 10 over 25′s Overweight
• 78% of American’s not meeting basic activity level recommendations
• 25% completely Sedentary
• 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 since 1990

Obesity Related Diseases

• 80% of type II diabetes related to obesity
• 70% of Cardiovascular disease related to obesity
• 42% breast and colon cancer diagnosed among obese individuals
• 30% of gall bladder surgery related to obesity
• 26% of obese people having high blood pressure

Overwhelming the  HealthCare System

• Type II Diabetes ($63.14 Billion)
• Osteoporosis ($17.2 Billion)
• Hypertension ($3.23 Billion)
• Heart Disease ($6.99 Billion)
• Post-menopausal breast cancer ($2.32 Billion)
• Colon Cancer ($2.78 Billion)
• Endometrial Cancer ($790 Million)

Cost of Lost Productivity

• Workdays lost: $39.3 Million
• Physician office visits: $62.7 Million
• Restricted Activity days: $29.9 Million
• Bed-Related days: $89.5 Million

Childhood Obesity

• 4% overweight 1982 | 16% overweight 1994
• 25% of all white children overweight 2001
• 33% African American and Hispanic children overweight 2001
• Hospital costs associated with childhood obesity rising from $35 Million (1979) to $127 Million (1999)

• New study suggests one in four overweight children is already showing early signs of type II diabetes (impaired glucose intolerance)

• 60% already have one risk factor for heart disease

Childhood Diabetes

• Between 8% – 45% of newly diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes are type II, associated with obesity.
•  4% of childhood diabetes was type II in 1990, that number has risen to approximately 20%
• Depending on the age group (Type II most frequent 10-19 group) and the racial/ethnic mix of group stated of children diagnosed with Type II diabetes, 85% are obese.

America: Being Number One is Not Always a Good Thing!

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