Most Ethnic Groups in U.S. Suffer High Rates of Obesity, Study Finds
Posted Oct 02 2008 3:12pm
Note from Connie: 60% to 80% of white, African-American, and Hispanic American participants in a major study were found to be overweight and 30% to 50% of subjects in those ethnic groups were obese, according to research in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) investigated the impact obesity has on the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study found that high blood pressure and diabetes were more prevalent amongst the obese, despite the much higher use of medication to treat these ailments amongst this group.
Interestingly, the research team discovered that the Chinese Americans in their study had much lower rates of overweight (33%) and obesity (just 5%) than other ethnic groups.
So, in a somewhat hopeful note, lead investigator Gregory Burke, M.D. of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and his colleagues write that "high rates of obesity should not be considered inevitable." I certainly hope that's true, because I shudder to think of all the disease and distress so many people will suffer if we don't get a handle on the obesity crisis.
Note from Connie: 60% to 80% of white, African-American, and Hispanic American participants in a major study were found to be overweight and 30% to 50% of subjects in those ethnic groups were obese, according to research in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) investigated the impact obesity has on the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study found that high blood pressure and diabetes were more prevalent amongst the obese, despite the much higher use of medication to treat these ailments amongst this group.
Interestingly, the research team discovered that the Chinese Americans in their study had much lower rates of overweight (33%) and obesity (just 5%) than other ethnic groups.
So, in a somewhat hopeful note, lead investigator Gregory Burke, M.D. of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and his colleagues write that "high rates of obesity should not be considered inevitable." I certainly hope that's true, because I shudder to think of all the disease and distress so many people will suffer if we don't get a handle on the obesity crisis.
Thanks to Megan Rauscher of Reuters for the heads-up on this startling study.
Jennifer Moore for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog