Survey: Exercise and obesity are rising in the United States

NEW YORK (AP) – This may seem like a contradiction, but more adults in the United States say that they are about 24 percent of adults in the US. Last year they said that they train enough each week to meet the government's recommendations for muscle building and aerobic exercise, according to a large annual health survey. That was up 21% in 2015.

The same survey indicates that 31% of adults reported that they were obese last year, up slightly. Another more rigorous government study also found that adult obesity magnifies

So if more Americans are exercising, how can one also get fatter?

Some experts think the results may reflect two people – the haves. "It is possible that people becoming more active already have a normal weight," said John Jakicic, director of the Center for Research on Management of Physical Activity and Weight at the University of Pittsburgh [19659006]. The figures come from an annual national in-person survey that, for more than 60 years, has been an important indicator of health trends in the United States. About 35,000 adults respond to the survey each year, including questions about the frequency, duration, and vigor with which they exercise their hobbies.

The survey gives a good overview of the trends, but it is not perfect. People tend to overestimate their efforts, just as they exaggerate their size and weight, says Jakicic.

The federal ten year recommendations say that adults should do weightlifting or other muscle building exercises at least twice a week. They also advise adults to do at least 75 minutes a week of high intensity aerobic activity, such as running, or 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, or a combination both.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reviewed the responses to the surveys from 2010 to 2015 and found that the level of physical activity was more common in some states than in others.

Nearly one-third of non-elderly adults in Colorado, Idaho, and New Hampshire met with exercise guidelines. It was only about one-seventh in Mississippi, Kentucky, and South Carolina

. Exercise levels were more common among those who worked than those who did not, according to the study

. during the years covered by the CDC report. But more recent data show that more adults said they were exercising at recommended levels in 2016 and 2017.

It's unclear why, said Jena Shaw Tronieri, a weight loss specialist from the University of Pennsylvania. "I do not know if this will explain the increase recently, but we know that these cyclical factors are part of the context," she said.

Of course, unhealthy eating has a lot to do with obesity. Research indicates that a "dietary change is needed to see any tooth or obesity reduction," said Tainya Clarke of the CDC, one of the report's authors.

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