A Demographic Analysis of the Rise in the Prevalence of the US Population Overweight and/or Obese

Abstract

Using data from the National Health Interview Survey for years spanning 1976 to 2001, this paper presents an age-period-cohort analysis of weight gain throughout the life cycle. We find that while all ages experienced an increase in the proportion overweight and/or obese (PO&O), the PO&O of young adults has grown at a faster rate than that of older age groups. We find that the increases in Body Mass Index are primarily due to period effects, not cohort or age effects. From the ordered logistical regression analyses, we find that protective influence of factors such as education, income, and age on an individual's Body Mass Index have decreased over time. The analyses suggest that the increase in PO&O is a phenomenon that all demographic groups in the United States have experienced.

Educational Differences in Obesity in the United States: A Closer Look at the Trends

“…Among whites and younger black women aged 25–44, the less educated continue to be more likely to be obese than college graduates, but the differentials are larger for women than men, and weak or nonexistent among black men and older black women aged 45–64. The stability and persistence of educational differences contrast with previous claims that obesity differentials have declined over time, and the most rapid increase in obesity has occurred with the most educated (3,4,5,7,12). Given the heterogeneities between college graduates and nongraduates (unchanged among men but widening among younger women), lumping them together as done previously (3,4,12) is perhaps unwise, biasing downward estimates of educational differences and leading to spurious trends.…”

“…Incongruous classifications of education could be another issue. The NHIS results suggest significant and increasing distinctions between college graduates and nongraduates (5,6,7), but this distinction was not made in all previous studies. In the NHANES analyses (3,4), education was classified into low (<9 years of schooling), medium (9–12 years of schooling) and high levels (at least some college).…”

“…Some widely cited claims based on analyses of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) are: (i) educational differences in obesity have declined, for women in particular since the 1970s; (ii) although obesity continues to be inversely related to education among women, it no longer differs by education among men; and (iii) the greatest increase in obesity has occurred with the most educated men and women (3,4). Several analyses of the National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) found that compared with college graduates, people with a high‐school degree or some college education have become increasingly more likely to be obese, but among themselves, the less educated groups have become harder to distinguish from each other (5,6,7). Two of the NHIS analyses, however, largely ignored the divergence results, concluding that educational differences have declined over time (5,7).…”

“…Several analyses of the National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) found that compared with college graduates, people with a high‐school degree or some college education have become increasingly more likely to be obese, but among themselves, the less educated groups have become harder to distinguish from each other (5,6,7). Two of the NHIS analyses, however, largely ignored the divergence results, concluding that educational differences have declined over time (5,7).…”

Overweight Adolescents and On-time High School Graduation: Racial and Gender Disparities

“…6% in 19636% in -19656% in to an estimated 17.4% in 20036% in -20046% in (Ogden et al 2008. Most past research on obesity focused on its measurements and determinants in the general population or in age-specific, ethnic-specific, or gender-specific sub-populations (Kuczmarski and Brownson 2007;Cook and Daponte 2008;Baum 2007;Hendricks et al 2006;Jalongo 1999;Hawkins 2007). However, more recent research focuses on the health and labor market outcomes of the rising incidence of unhealthy body mass index (BMI) among adolescents (Gary et al 2006;Merten et al 2008;Fletcher and Lehrer 2007).…”