Clinically Severe Obesity Rates Climb

Clinically severe, or morbid, obesity entails being 100 or more pounds overweight. A recent report suggests that rates of morbid obesity have been rising faster than those of moderate obesity.

According to information from a RAND Corporation study published in the International Journal of Obesity (2012; doi:10.1038/ijo.2012.159), cases of clinically severe obesity increased 70% between 2000 and 2010. “Although the BMI rates at every point in time are higher among Hispanics and Blacks, there were no significant differences in trends between them and non-Hispanic Whites,” the authors reported [italics added].

Fortunately, the rate of increase slowed during the second half of that period, with the more rapid rise taking place between 2000 and 2005.