People of Hillsborough County Getting Fatter

By Heather Martino

Over the past decade, men and women across the country have been getting fatter.

Hillsborough is no exception. The obesity rate for women expanded to 8.2 percent in 2011, compared to 24.7 percent a decade ago. The rate for men hit 9.7 percent in 2011, compared to 24.9 a decade ago.

Nationally, 36 percent of women and 34 percent of men are obese, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

In 2011, obesity prevalence for both genders in the U.S. ranged from 20.7% in Colorado to 34.9% in Mississippi, according to the CDC. These figures were obtained from a recent study from the University of Washington.

According to the CDC, obesity is calculated by measuring a person’s height and weight, and deriving at a ratio called the body mass index, or BMI. This number often correlates to an individual’s amount of body fat, and is used to ascertain whether a person is considered underweight, a normal weight, overweight or obese.

Obese individuals have a 50-100% increased risk of premature death, and it’s estimated that obesity may be the cause of 300,000 deaths per year according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Interestingly, Americans claim to be exercising more during the same time period that obesity climbed. “Around the country, you can see huge increases in the percentage of people becoming physically active, which research tells us is certain to have health benefits,” said IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray in a press release. Murray added that “If communities in the US can replicate this success and tackle the ongoing obesity impact, it will see more substantial health gains.”

The good news is that there may be silver lining to America’s fat epidemic. While we’re still getting fatter, at least it’s happening at a slower rate than in past years. And if this rate continues to drop, New Hampshire might soon be reporting slimmer, healthier residents.