Percentage of severely obese adults skyrockets

Earlier this month, USA Today highlighted a new study from the RAND Corp. which shows that the percentage of severely obese adults in the U.S. has nearly doubled in two short years. In 2010, about 6.6% of adults in this country were severely obese – about 15.5 million people – up from 3.9% in 2000.

The research, published online by the International Journal of Obesity found that severe obesity is about 50% higher among women than men; it is about twice as high among blacks as Hispanics and whites; and the percentage of severely obese who are under 40 is similar to those who are over 40.

As many of you probably know, extra weight increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other chronic and debilitating health problems.

If you’re on a weight loss or weight control diet, The Skinny on Low Cal has lots of resources on our website. Below are some places to start. You can also follow us on Facebook and Pinterest for even more information and ideas.

Weight loss

• Healthy weight loss food kit
• 2,000 calories a day the healthy way
• Keeping a food diary
• Healthy substitutions
• Reduce your sugar intake

Exercise

• Tips for setting fitness goals
• Exercise you can do at home
• Count calories burned during exercise