Obesity is on the Rise in the U.S.

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Obesity is on the rise in the United States among adults and Latinos, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CBS News reports.

The results come as a surprise after a decade of public-awareness campaigns and efforts to get Americans to watch their weight. According to the report by the CDC, the obesity rate of U.S. adults climbed to 38% from 32%, almost a decade ago.

“This is a striking finding and suggests that a situation that was thought to be stable is getting worse”, Dr. William Dietz, an obesity expert at George Washington University, told CBS News.

But some experts warn that the study done by the CDC “may not have been representative of the nation as a whole.”

The study was based on surveys conducted in 2013-2014 and found the rate of obesity to be higher among American women (38%) compared to men (34%). For almost a decade obesity rates for men and women had been virtually the same.

Among children,the study found obesity rates have not changed much. “For young people ages 2-19, the rate has been holding at about 17 percent over the past decade.” For Latino children in the same age group, the obesity rate is over 39%.

For more information about Latino childhood obesity and to see changes community leaders are taking, visit SaludAmerica!.