November 21, 2024 – Nearly 75% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, according to a recent Lancet study, and about 50% of young adults fall into that category.
These findings reflect long-term trends, Steven Gortmaker, professor of the practice of health sociology and director of the Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in a Nov. 15 WGBH article. Some of the factors behind these trends include the pervasive marketing and low price of unhealthy foods and beverages, he said.
Having excess weight can put people at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Gortmaker said that it’s important to get kids started on a healthy path early, through interventions such as school lunches and physical education programs. “One of the points of this Lancet paper was that, sure, [weight loss drugs like Wegovy] can be important, but the bottom line is what you want to do is not develop that excess weight in the first place,” he said. “And that’s certainly the case with children.”
Read the WGBH article: Obesity rates have increased across the country. Early intervention is key, doctors say.
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