Obesity in Utah is at a record high
Chances are you know someone who is at an unhealthy weight, since over 60% of adult Utahns are either overweight or obese. Obesity can affect people of any gender, age, income, and racial/ethnic groups. Today the number of Utah children, adolescents, and adults that are obese is at a record high. Over 1,156,000 Utah adults are overweight and over 461,000 are obese. Additionally, 21.5% of Utah elementary school students and 20.4% of Utah high school students are at an unhealthy weight (overweight or obese).
Here are the facts:
- More than half of Utah adults are overweight or obese (60.1%, Utah BRFSS 2008).
- Over one in three of those Utah adults at an unhealthy weight are obese (24.0% Utah BRFSS 2008).
- Utah is only doing slightly better than the US where 63.1% of adults are overweight or obese and 26.6% are obese (US BRFSS 2008).
- In 2007, over 1,156,000 adult Utahns were overweight or obese and 461,000 were obese.
- The percentage of obese adults in Utah has more than doubled (a 128% increase) since 1989.
- Significantly more men (67.5%) were overweight or obese in Utah than women (52.4%, Utah BRFSS 2008).
- Over one in five elementary-age Utah children are overweight or obese (21.5%, Utah child height and weight study 2008).
- Over one in five high school-age Utah children are overweight or obese (20.4%) and 8.7% are obese (2007 YRBSS).
- In 2005, 35% of Utah women who delivered a baby were overweight or obese prior to becoming pregnant. This is a 21% increase since 1996.