The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the CDC, released data that showed the number of obese American adults is greater than the number of those who are categorized as overweight. The data, compiled from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 2005-2006, indicate that 32.7% of Americans are overweight, 34.3% are obese, and 5.9% are extremely obese. This translates to more than one third of U.S. adults, or roughly 72 million people, who were obese in 2005-2006. In comparison, the 1988-1994 survey found that 33% of Americans were overweight, 22.9% were obese, and 2.9% were extremely obese. In addition, the survey shows the prevalence of obesity doubled since 1980, although the prevalence of overweight remained stable. The NHANES survey involves 4356 adults over the age of 20 who take part in a regular government survey of health.
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