Obesity Trends: Men Vs. Women

Recent data show the prevalence of obesity increasing in women but not in men, according to a new report.

This report looked at 5,455 adults (2,638 men and 2,817 women) from the most recent two years (2013-14) of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

To identify changes in the obesity prevalence within the last decade, data from 21, 013 US participants in previous NHANES reports from 2005 through 2012 was also included.

When looking at 2013-14 data, researchers found that the overall age-adjusted prevalence of obesity was 37.7 percent. In men, that number was was 35.0 percent. In women, it was 40.4 percent.

Class 3 obesity — a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater —prevalence increased in women when comparing data from 2005 and 2014. When looking at 2013-14 data for class 3 obesity, the numbers were 5.5 percent for men and 9.9 percent for women.

These researchers called for further studies to identify the causes of the trends identified in this report.

This study was recently published in JAMA. The authors did not disclose any outside funding sources or conflicts of interest.