Two new studies are highlighting a dark picture of the obesity epidemic in the United States: one shows the number of obesity-related deaths is on the rise and the other projects a continued increase in the number of Americans who have overweight or obesity.

In the Lancet, the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study collaboration found that more than 170 million adults 25 years and older, as well as 15 million children and young adolescents (aged 5 to 14 years) and 21 million older adolescents (15 to 24 years), have overweight or obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 kg/m2.

“The current prevalence of overweight and obesity in the US are extraordinarily high and rising, presenting a significant public health concern,” GBD study investigator Xiaochen Dai, PhD (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, WA), told TCTMD in an email. “Forecasts to 2050 highlight an even more concerning trend.”

In 25 years, it’s estimated that nearly 213 million adults and 43 million children and adolescents will have overweight or obesity. Put another way, one out […]