FACTS & FIGURES
A weighty matter
12.0%
Prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults in 1991,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
19.8%
Prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults in 2000
61%
Percentage increase in obesity between 1991 and 2000
38.8 million
Number of American adults who met the definition
of obesity (a body mass index of 30 or more) in 2000
$110 billion
Amount of money Americans spent on fast food in 2001,
according to the National Institutes of Health
4
Numbers of years of research grants awarded by the
entire National Institutes of Health that that sum would fund
$117 billion
Estimated cost of obesity in 2000 ($61 billion in direct
medical costs and $56 billion in indirect costs, such as disability)
2,400
Estimated number of hamburgers sold in 2002
at Dartmouth Medical School's Cafe North Cafeteria
25,584
Estimated number of turkey sandwiches sold in 2002 at Cafe North
If you would like to offer any feedback about this article, we would welcome getting your comments at DartMed@Dartmouth.edu.