This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Citing articles on ISI (2625)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related articles  • Similar articles in JAMA  Topic Collections  • Obesity  • Alert me on articles by topic  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Katherine M. Flegal, PhD; Margaret D. Carroll, MS; Cynthia L. Ogden, PhD; Clifford L. Johnson, MSPH

JAMA. 2002;288:1723-1727.

Context  The prevalence of obesity and overweight increased in the United States between 1978 and 1991. More recent reports have suggested continued increases but are based on self-reported data.

Objective  To examine trends and prevalences of overweight (body mass index [BMI] 25) and obesity (BMI 30), using measured height and weight data.

Design, Setting, and Participants  Survey of 4115 adult men and women conducted in 1999 and 2000 as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a nationally representative sample of the US population.

Main Outcome Measure  Age-adjusted prevalence of overweight, obesity, and extreme obesity compared with prior surveys, and sex-, age-, and race/ethnicity–specific estimates.

Results  The age-adjusted prevalence of obesity was 30.5% in 1999-2000 compared with 22.9% in NHANES III (1988-1994; P<.001). The prevalence of overweight also increased during this period from 55.9% to 64.5% (P<.001). Extreme obesity (BMI 40) also increased significantly in the population, from 2.9% to 4.7% (P = .002). Although not all changes were statistically significant, increases occurred for both men and women in all age groups and for non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Mexican Americans. Racial/ethnic groups did not differ significantly in the prevalence of obesity or overweight for men. Among women, obesity and overweight prevalences were highest among non-Hispanic black women. More than half of non-Hispanic black women aged 40 years or older were obese and more than 80% were overweight.

Conclusions  The increases in the prevalences of obesity and overweight previously observed continued in 1999-2000. The potential health benefits from reduction in overweight and obesity are of considerable public health importance.

Author Affiliations: National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Md.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati     What's this?

RELATED ARTICLES

Prevalence and Trends in Overweight Among US Children and Adolescents, 1999-2000
Cynthia L. Ogden, Katherine M. Flegal, Margaret D. Carroll, and Clifford L. Johnson
JAMA. 2002;288(14):1728-1732.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Trends and Correlates of Class 3 Obesity in the United States From 1990 Through 2000
David S. Freedman, Laura Kettel Khan, Mary K. Serdula, Deborah A. Galuska, and William H. Dietz
JAMA. 2002;288(14):1758-1761.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Obesity Research: A Call for Papers
Phil B. Fontanarosa
JAMA. 2002;288(14):1772-1773.
EXTRACT | FULL TEXT  

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Health Behavior Risk Factors Across Age as Predictors of Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis
Cardi et al.
J Aging Health 2009;21:759-775.
ABSTRACT  

NIH funding trajectories and their correlations with US health dynamics from 1950 to 2004
Manton et al.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2009;106:10981-10986.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Skim milk compared with a fruit drink acutely reduces appetite and energy intake in overweight men and women
Dove et al.
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2009;90:70-75.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Association Between Perceived Discrimination and Obesity in a Population-Based Multiracial and Multiethnic Adult Sample
Hunte and Williams
Am. J. Public Health 2009;99:1285-1292.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Factors associated with BMI change over five years in a Swedish adult population. Results from the Scania Public Health Cohort Study
Eek and Ostergren
Scand J Public Health 2009;37:532-544.
ABSTRACT  

Fast-Food Consumption, Diet Quality, and Neighborhood Exposure to Fast Food: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Moore et al.
Am J Epidemiol 2009;170:29-36.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Ultrasound molecular imaging of atherosclerosis
Kaufmann
Cardiovasc Res 2009;0:cvp179v2-cvp179.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Body Mass Index and Risk, Age of Onset, and Survival in Patients With Pancreatic Cancer
Li et al.
JAMA 2009;301:2553-2562.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Overweight, Obesity, and Pancreatic Cancer: Beyond Risk Alone
McWilliams and Petersen
JAMA 2009;301:2592-2593.
FULL TEXT  

Fetuses of Obese Mothers Develop Insulin Resistance in Utero
Catalano et al.
Diabetes Care 2009;32:1076-1080.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Obesity Linked to Smaller Cerebral Volume: What Should We Make of This?
Bremner
Psychosom. Med. 2009;71:483-484.
FULL TEXT  

A Survey of Obstetric Perianesthesia Care Unit Standards
Wilkins et al.
Anesth. Analg. 2009;108:1869-1875.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Obesity and cardiovascular disease: risk factor, paradox, and impact of weight loss.
Lavie et al.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2009;53:1925-1932.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Exploring Resources for Physical Activity in Hispanic Women, Using Photo Elicitation
Fleury et al.
Qual Health Res 2009;19:677-686.
ABSTRACT  

Prenatal Stress or High-Fat Diet Increases Susceptibility to Diet-Induced Obesity in Rat Offspring
Tamashiro et al.
Diabetes 2009;58:1116-1125.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Secretos de la Buena Vida: processes of dietary change via a tailored nutrition communication intervention for Latinas
Baquero et al.
Health Educ Res 2009;0:cyp022v1-cyp022.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Impact of Change in Sweetened Caloric Beverage Consumption on Energy Intake Among Children and Adolescents
Wang et al.
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2009;163:336-343.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Social disparities in BMI trajectories across adulthood by gender, race/ethnicity and lifetime socio-economic position: 1986-2004
Clarke et al.
Int J Epidemiol 2009;38:499-509.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Urinary Potassium Is a Clinically Useful Test to Detect a Poor Quality Diet
Mente et al.
J. Nutr. 2009;139:743-749.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Nurse-led Care for Symptomatic Moderate-Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Antic et al.
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 2009;179:501-508.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Comparison of Resting Energy Expenditure Prediction Methods With Measured Resting Energy Expenditure in Obese, Hospitalized Adults
Anderegg et al.
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr 2009;33:168-175.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Hypothalamic alterations in fetuses of high fat diet-fed obese female rats
Gupta et al.
J Endocrinol 2009;200:293-300.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Early Childhood Poverty and Adult Body Mass Index
Ziol-Guest et al.
Am. J. Public Health 2009;99:527-532.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

From observation to experimentation: leptin action in the mediobasal hypothalamus
Williams et al.
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2009;89:985S-990S.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Developmental Programming: Excess Weight Gain Amplifies the Effects of Prenatal Testosterone Excess On Reproductive Cyclicity--Implication for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Steckler et al.
Endocrinology 2009;150:1456-1465.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Patterns of Abdominal Fat Distribution: The Framingham Heart Study
Pou et al.
Diabetes Care 2009;32:481-485.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Contemporary Trends in Dyslipidemia in the Framingham Heart Study
Ingelsson et al.
Arch Intern Med 2009;169:279-286.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Current pharmacotherapeutic concepts for the treatment of obesity in adults
Idelevich et al.
Ther Adv Cardiovasc Dis 2009;3:75-90.
ABSTRACT  

Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Differences in the Incidence of Obesity Related to Childbirth
Davis et al.
Am. J. Public Health 2009;99:294-299.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Use of Density-Equalizing Cartograms to Visualize Trends and Disparities in State-Specific Prevalence of Obesity: 1996-2006
Houle et al.
Am. J. Public Health 2009;99:308-312.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Extreme obesity and risk of placental abruption
Salihu et al.
Hum Reprod 2009;24:438-444.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Full Accounting of Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes in the U.S. Population in 1988-1994 and 2005-2006
Cowie et al.
Diabetes Care 2009;32:287-294.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics--2009 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee
WRITING GROUP MEMBERS et al.
Circulation 2009;119:e21-e181.
FULL TEXT  

Review: Obesity and pregnancy: an obstetrician's view
Mahmood
British Journal of Diabetes & Vascular Disease 2009;9:19-22.
ABSTRACT  

Contributions of a Local Health Examination Survey to the Surveillance of Chronic and Infectious Diseases in New York City
Gwynn et al.
Am. J. Public Health 2009;99:152-159.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Increasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among US adults: 1988-1994 to 1999-2004
Bleich et al.
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2009;89:372-381.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Determinants of Latina Obesity in the United States: The Role of Selective Acculturation
Yeh et al.
J Transcult Nurs 2009;20:105-115.
ABSTRACT  

Financial Incentive-Based Approaches for Weight Loss: A Randomized Trial
Volpp et al.
JAMA 2008;300:2631-2637.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Obesity, Mammography Use and Accuracy, and Advanced Breast Cancer Risk
Kerlikowske et al.
JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst 2008;100:1724-1733.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status of the US population: 1988-1994 compared with 2000-2004
Looker et al.
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2008;88:1519-1527.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Obesity-induced glomerular hyperfiltration: its involvement in the pathogenesis of tubular sodium reabsorption
Chagnac et al.
Nephrol Dial Transplant 2008;23:3946-3952.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

HRASLS3 is a PPAR{gamma}-selective target gene that promotes adipocyte differentiation
Hummasti et al.
J. Lipid Res. 2008;49:2535-2544.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Pregnancy and Fertility Following Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review
Maggard et al.
JAMA 2008;300:2286-2296.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Impact of Antidepressant Use on Gastric Bypass Surgery Patients' Weight Loss and Health-Related Quality-of-Life Outcomes
Love et al.
Psychosomatics 2008;49:478-486.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The combined relations of adiposity and smoking on mortality
Koster et al.
Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2008;88:1206-1212.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Obesity: Effects on Cardiovascular Disease and its Diagnosis
Mathew et al.
J Am Board Fam Med 2008;21:562-568.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer Risk in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study Cohort
Brinton et al.
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 2008;17:3150-3160.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Obesity and the lung: 4 {middle dot} Obesity and asthma
Sin and Sutherland
Thorax 2008;63:1018-1023.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Epidemiology of Obesity in the Western Hemisphere
Ford and Mokdad
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2008;93:s1-s8.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Trends in Hypertension Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment, and Control Rates in United States Adults Between 1988-1994 and 1999-2004
Cutler et al.
Hypertension 2008;52:818-827.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Obesity-Related Hypertension?: Weighing the Evidence
Kotchen
Hypertension 2008;52:801-802.
FULL TEXT  

Trends in Survival Over the Past Two Decades Among White and Black Patients With Newly Diagnosed Stage IV Breast Cancer
Dawood et al.
JCO 2008;26:4891-4898.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Design considerations and rationale of a multi-center trial to sustain weight loss: the weight loss maintenance trial
Brantley et al.
Clin Trials 2008;5:546-556.
ABSTRACT  

Serum leptin concentrations and markers of immune function in overweight or obese postmenopausal women
Meyers et al.
J Endocrinol 2008;199:51-60.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Catheter-directed Gastric Artery Chemical Embolization Suppresses Systemic Ghrelin Levels in Porcine Model
Arepally et al.
Radiology 2008;249:127-133.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Obesity as a risk factor for the progression of paroxysmal to permanent atrial fibrillation: a longitudinal cohort study of 21 years
Tsang et al.
Eur Heart J 2008;29:2227-2233.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Health Promotion for People With Disabilities: Implications for Empowering the Person and Promoting Disability-Friendly Environments
Rimmer and Rowland
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE 2008;2:409-420.
ABSTRACT  

Review: Stroke prevention: modifying risk factors
Romero et al.
Ther Adv Cardiovasc Dis 2008;2:287-303.
ABSTRACT  

Age-Related Differences in Arterial Compliance Are Independent of Body Mass Index
Fjeldstad et al.
ANGIOLOGY 2008;59:454-458.
ABSTRACT  

Adopting New Orphans into the Family of Metabolic Regulators
Hummasti and Tontonoz
Mol. Endocrinol. 2008;22:1743-1753.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Influence of Aging and Menopause on Lipids and Lipoproteins in Women
Kolovou and Bilianou
ANGIOLOGY 2008;59:54S-57S.
ABSTRACT  

Population-Based Prevention of Obesity: The Need for Comprehensive Promotion of Healthful Eating, Physical Activity, and Energy Balance: A Scientific Statement From American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, Interdisciplinary Committee for Prevention (Formerly the Expert Panel on Population and Prevention Science)
Kumanyika et al.
Circulation 2008;118:428-464.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Fetuin-A and Incident Diabetes Mellitus in Older Persons
Ix et al.
JAMA 2008;300:182-188.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Appetite-Related Gut Peptides in Obesity and Binge Eating Disorder
Geliebter et al.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE 2008;2:305-314.
ABSTRACT  

Visceral Obesity May Affect Oncologic Outcome in Patients with Colorectal Cancer
Moon et al.
Ann. Surg. Oncol. 2008;15:1918-1922.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Current Trends in Weight Management: What Advice Do We Give to Patients?
Boucher et al.
Clin. Diabetes 2008;26:115-120.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Orthopaedic Surgeon Workforce and Volume Assessment for Total Hip and Knee Replacement in the United States: Preparing for an Epidemic
Iorio et al.
JBJS 2008;90:1598-1605.
FULL TEXT  

Ocular Vascular Thrombotic Events: Central Retinal Vein and Central Retinal Artery Occlusions
Glueck et al.
CLIN APPL THROMB HEMOST 2008;14:286-294.
ABSTRACT  

Why Young Adults Hold the Key to Assessing the Obesity Epidemic in Children
Lee
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2008;162:682-687.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Physical Activity Prevents Augmented Body Fat Accretion in Moderately Iron-Deficient Rats
McClung et al.
J. Nutr. 2008;138:1293-1297.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Trends in Diabetes, High Cholesterol, and Hypertension in Chronic Kidney Disease Among U.S. Adults: 1988-1994 to 1999-2004
Fox and Muntner
Diabetes Care 2008;31:1337-1342.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Beyond Established and Novel Risk Factors: Lifestyle Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
Mozaffarian et al.
Circulation 2008;117:3031-3038.
FULL TEXT  

Perceptions and Beliefs About Body Size, Weight, and Weight Loss Among Obese African American Women: A Qualitative Inquiry
Befort et al.
Health Educ Behav 2008;35:410-426.
ABSTRACT  

Susruta of India, an unrecognized contributor to the history of exercise physiology
Tipton
J. Appl. Physiol. 2008;104:1553-1556.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Association of body mass index with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: findings from a prospective cohort study in Mumbai (Bombay), India
Pednekar et al.
Int J Epidemiol 2008;37:524-535.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Regional Differences in Diabetes as a Possible Contributor to the Geographic Disparity in Stroke Mortality: The REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke Study
Voeks et al.
Stroke 2008;39:1675-1680.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Obesity
Cha et al.
Circulation 2008;117:2583-2590.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Overview of human obesity and central mechanisms regulating energy homeostasis
Crowley
Ann Clin Biochem 2008;45:245-255.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Cross-talk between estrogen and leptin signaling in the hypothalamus
Gao and Horvath
Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 2008;294:E817-E826.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Associations of the Local Food Environment with Diet Quality--A Comparison of Assessments based on Surveys and Geographic Information Systems: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Moore et al.
Am J Epidemiol 2008;167:917-924.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Association between Obesity during Pregnancy and Increased Use of Health Care
Chu et al.
NEJM 2008;358:1444-1453.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Neighbourhood environment as a predictor of television watching among girls
MacLeod et al.
J. Epidemiol. Community Health 2008;62:288-292.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Taste Cells of the Gut and Gastrointestinal Chemosensation
Egan and Margolskee
Mol. Interv. 2008;8:78-81.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Long-term treatment of obese children and adolescents using a telemedicine support programme
Schiel et al.
J Telemed Telecare 2008;14:13-16.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Weight Loss in Overweight and Obese Patients Following Successful Lumbar Decompression
Garcia et al.
JBJS 2008;90:742-747.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Body Size and Serum 25 Hydroxy Vitamin D Response to Oral Supplements in Healthy Older Adults
Blum et al.
J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 2008;27:274-279.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Plasma Isoflavone Level and Subsequent Risk of Breast Cancer Among Japanese Women: A Nested Case-Control Study From the Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study Group
Iwasaki et al.
JCO 2008;26:1677-1683.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Trends in overweight, obesity and blood pressure among Israeli working adults--implications for public health
Sheffer and Calderon-Margalit
Eur J Public Health 2008;18:121-125.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Lall et al.
Am. J. Roentgenol. 2008;190:993-1002.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Metabolic Syndrome Pandemic
Grundy
Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Bio. 2008;28:629-636.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Skeletal muscle lipid oxidation and obesity: influence of weight loss and exercise
Berggren et al.
Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 2008;294:E726-E732.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Using Visual Methods to Uncover Context
Keller et al.
Qual Health Res 2008;18:428-436.
ABSTRACT