Severe Obesity Rates On The Rise, Disproportionately Affecting People In Rural Communities

reports, “Severe obesity rates have been on the rise nationwide since the turn of the century, disproportionately affecting children and adults in rural communities, two US studies” indicate. Researchers, including Cynthia Ogden, PhD, of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and colleagues found that “in rural communities, severe obesity rates more than tripled for men and more than doubled for women” from 2001 to 2016, “while climbing 29 percent among young people.” Meanwhile, “obesity rates in rural areas...rose about 9 percent among children and teens and about 36 percent for adults,” investigators found. The studies, both published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, can be seen here and here. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-obesity-rural/severe-obesity-rates-surging-in-rural-america-idUSKBN1JF2ID