Statistics on Overweight Americans

Understanding Overweight Statistics
Weight Loss By the Numbers

Looking for statistics on overweight Americans? These overweight statistics are NOT pretty. You might say it's weight loss by the numbers...

If you've been to my home page, then you already know that 2 out of every 3 Americans are overweight... 1 out of every 3 of us is obese. My gosh, that's a sobering overweight statistic, isn't it? How the heck did so many of us get so darn fat in this country?

And it's not just us middle-aged ladies who are so obese either... more and more kids today are overweight or obese... possibly as many as 32% are overweight, while 14% are obese.

If you are African-American or Hispanic, you may be even more at risk for being overweight. Recent studies by the Centers for Disease Control found that African Americans were 51% more likely to be obese than whites and Hispanics were 21% more likely.

More Statistics

I don't know about you, but sometimes fractions and decimals can be confusing. So here's another statistic on overweight Americans for you... 97.1 million of us are overweight! Worldwide, over 1 billion of us weigh more than we should.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), during any one year, over half of Americans go on a weight-loss diet or are trying to maintain their weight by making changes in diet.

That's a great statistic, but unfortunately, too many people go about losing weight in completely the wrong way. More on that later, though...

Statistics on Overweight American Women

And... since this site is focused primarily on middle-aged overweight women, here are some relevant overweight statistics for our peer group:

• 50% of women overall aged 20 to 74 are overweight or obese
• 63.6% of women aged 35-44 are overweight
• 64.7% of women aged 45-54 are overweight
• 73.1% of women aged 55-64 are overweight
• 70.1% of women aged 65-74 are overweight
• 59.6% of women aged over 75 are overweight

So, as you can see, during our middle and senior years (until we are quite elderly), we women are getting fatter and fatter. Not really what you wanted to hear, is it?

But here's the good news... each of you can change your own individual statistics at any point in time... all you have to do is start focusing on a healthier lifestyle... and before you know it, you'll no longer be counted among the statistics on overweight Americans!

Also in This Section

• Risks of Being Overweight
• Benefits of Losing Weight
• How to Know if YOU Are Overweight
• Obesity Defined
• What You Need to Know About BMI
• Women's Weight Issues
• Menopause & Weight Gain

Some more great pages you might like!

• Get answers to your weight loss questions from a nurse
• Share a review of a weight loss plan you've tried
• Read (or share)inspirational stories of weight loss

Please NOTE: The information on this website is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or professional advice. Anyone considering starting a weight loss program should consult with their doctor first.