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Americans Gain the Most Weight While Still in Their Twenties – Body Health World

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A study that examined the long-term weight gain of more than 13,800 U.S. adults found that on average, people gained about 17 pounds between their twenties and thirties. Adult women gain about twice as much weight as men, with the average female gaining about 12 pounds a decade, according to the findings published in the Journal of Obesity.

“The U.S. obesity epidemic is not slowing down,” says lead author Larry Tucker, PhD, professor in exercise sciences at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. “These results leave no doubt that 10-year weight gain is a serious problem within the U.S. adult population,” he says. That’s because long-term weight gain drives overweight and obesity, and obesity is replacing smoking as the most serious preventable cause of premature death and disease in America, says Dr. Tucker.

Overweight and Obesity Associated With Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. Deaths

Obesity is a growing health crisis, both in the United States and around the world. It’s estimated that nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States — 18.2 percent — are associated with overweight and obesity. From 1999–2000 through 2017–2018, obesity prevalence in the United States has increased from 30.5 percent to 42.4 percent.

A person with a body mass index (BMI) from 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI of over 30 is considered to be obese. BMI is calculated based on a person’s weight and height and the same formula is used for both men and women.

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