Are Men or Women Gaining Weight in Clayton and Richmond Heights?

This article was written by Heather Martino.

America’s epidemic of fatness extends to St. Louis County, with obesity rates at nearly 33 percent for men and 36.8 percent for women in 2011 in the county.

The rate for men jumped 7.4 percentage points for men and 8.6 points for women from 2001 to 2011.

The county figures on the map were obtained from a recent study from the University of Washington, which found that nationwide women are more obese than men.

Obesity in Missouri increased at similar rates, rising for men 8.5 percentage points to 36.6 percent for men; and rising 8.9 points to 38.9 percent for women statewide. Bottom line: The rate of obesity for St. Louis County men is slightly lower than the state average, while the women's rate is slightly higher. 

It's the same story for men when compared to neighboring St. Charles County, where 36.9 percent of men are considered obese; 35.3 percent of St. Charles County women are considered obese.

Both genders track fairly close to the national average, according to the 2011 numbers: 33.8 percent of men nationally are obese (a rate lower than St. Charles County, but just above St. Louis County); 36.1 percent of women nationally are obese. That's higher than the St. Charles County average, but slightly lower than St. Louis County. 

In 2011, obesity prevalence for both genders in the U.S. ranged from 20.7 percent in Colorado to 34.9 percent in Mississippi, according to the CDC.

According to the CDC, obesity affects more than one-third of adults, or 35.7 percent of the population in the United States. Obesity is calculated by measuring a person’s height and weight, and deriving at a ratio called the body mass index, or BMI. This number often correlates to an individual’s amount of body fat, and is used to ascertain whether a person is considered underweight, a normal weight, overweight or obese.

Obese individuals have a 50-100 percent increased risk of premature death, and it’s estimated that obesity may be the cause of 300,000 deaths per year according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Interestingly, Americans claim to be exercising more during the same time period that obesity climbed. 

“Around the country, you can see huge increases in the percentage of people becoming physically active, which research tells us is certain to have health benefits,” said IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray in a press release. Murray added that “If communities in the US can replicate this success and tackle the ongoing obesity impact, it will see more substantial health gains.”