A record three-quarters of US adults are now obese or overweight, as shown in the map showing the fattest areas

Nearly three-quarters of American adults are overweight or obese, according to a new study.

That leaves an estimated 86 million people with a healthy BMI of less than 25, a situation the researchers describe as ‘an epidemic’.

The new study, one of the most comprehensive of its kind, collected data from more than 100 different surveys, polls and surveys conducted since 1990.

They found that between 72 and 75 percent of American adults were overweight or obese, meaning they had a body max index (BMI) of more than 25 and 30, respectively.

In children, they found that more than a third of children and adolescents under the age of 25 were overweight or obese.

Based on these trends over the past thirty years, the researchers predicted that the number of overweight and obese adults will reach 213 million by 2050.

That means that two in three adults alone will be obese, not counting overweight people.

However, separate CDC research recently published suggests that the tide could be turning and interest rates could even fall as part of an “Ozempian effect.”

The CDC’s September 2024 report was part of a national survey conducted from 2021 to 2023 to obtain information on various health trends, called the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Their September issue included data from 2022 to 2023 and compared trends going back to 2013. The numbers they calculated come from applying the survey they conducted to the entire country, meaning it’s an estimate based on the most recent ten year trends.

It also only included people with a BMI over 30, who are considered obese, and did not take into account people who were overweight, from 25 to 30.

In contrast, the Lancet article collected data up to 2021 and examined studies dating back to 1990.

They combined the surveys used by the CDC with other measurements from private universities and polling firms to add more data to the sample.

Obesity is a concern for public health officials, especially because there are a host of health problems associated with being overweight, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

The study authors said this has a striking effect on both the individual dealing with health problems and the wider economy and healthcare system. In 2016, healthcare costs associated with obesity were a whopping $481 billion.

The researchers suggest that a confluence of factors may contribute to this epidemic, including the fact that healthy, fresh foods tend to be more expensive and less accessible than highly processed foods high in sugar and fat.

Their study, published in the journal The Lancetpulled data from 134 different sources from 1980 to 2021 to create their dataset.

This included CDC surveys, Gallup polls, and long-term studies such as Women’s Health Across the Nation.

More than 100 different scientists from international organizations participated in the study, forming a group called the GBD 2021 US Obesity Forecasting Collaborators.

By combining the information from these different sources, they created obesity prevalence maps from 1990 to 2021, by age and gender.

They then used a model to apply the trends they had observed over the past thirty years to the next 25 years.

They divided people into three groups: children aged five to 14, adolescents aged 15 to 24, and adults over 25. They also placed them into different groups based on weight.

Perry started mukbangs of a different nature in 2016 – tame portions, often accompanied by his parrot

In this video from summer 2022, Mr Perry celebrates his ‘400 Pound Milestone’ with food from the Cheesecake Factory

Tess Holliday, 35, a model and influencer, has openly shared her struggles with her weight and an eating disorder online

Overweight people had a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more and obese adults had a body mass of 30 or more.

For example, a person who is five feet tall and weighs 150 pounds would have a BMI of 26.

A person who is 6 feet tall and weighs 245 pounds is obese.

They found that in 2021, approximately 15.1 million children, 21.4 million adolescents and 172 million adults were overweight or obese.

The state with the highest percentage of male adolescents who were overweight or obese was Texas, with an estimated 52 percent, and the state with the highest percentage of female adolescents was Mississippi, with an estimated 63 percent.

From 1990 to 2021, the percentage of male and female adolescents in the U.S. with obesity specifically increased by 158 percent and 185 percent, respectively.

In adults, the rate increased by 123 percent in men and 99.9 percent in women.

What they found suggested that the number of overweight or obese people will continue to grow over the next 25 years.

Their model predicts that by 2050 there will be 43.1 million obese or overweight children and adolescents, and 213 million obese or overweight adults.

That means one in three adolescents and two in three adults will be obese.

The most concerning part of the article, the study authors wrote, is the trends in children.

Children who develop weight problems are at greater risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and psychological or social problems. 2023 study from the University of Illinois.

They are also more likely to die young than average-weight children.

Jaelynn Chaney, 27, is a plus-size travel influencer (she’s pictured here on vacation in Lake Oswego, Oregon)

Brittany Sauer tragically passed away at the age of 28 from complications due to type 2 diabetes. Shortly before her death, she tearfully spoke to the camera and said she had ‘ruined her life’ with food and binge eating

Currently, the number of overweight creators posting videos of themselves eating food is at an all-time high.

Muk-bangers like Nicholas Perry, better known by his username Nikocado Avocado, make videos of themselves gorging on massive amounts of food, regularly consuming more than 10,000 calories on camera.

In his seven years as a food maker, Perry has gained at least 150 pounds and amassed a net worth of $2 million, a DailyMail.com investigation found.

People have also seen their favorite creators’ lives end in tragedy due to their weight – as was the case of TikToker Brittany Sauer, who died at the age of 28. In some of Sauer’s final videos, she said she felt like she “ruined her.” life’ with binge eating.

Critics of this content have previously told the Daily Mail that content showing binge eating online ‘normalises’ overeating in an unhealthy way.

While there have been recent gains in weight loss — especially as more people become users of GLP-1 inhibitors like Ozempic, the researchers say broad institutional changes are needed to curb obesity.

This includes expanding insurance coverage to cover weight loss procedures, cracking down on the amount of sugar and fat allowed in products and issuing regulations to make healthy options more affordable.

This could, for example, include the introduction of a tax on sugary drinks.

The researchers said: ‘Without major reforms, the predicted trends will be devastating at individual and population levels, and the associated disease burden and economic costs will continue to escalate.’