Reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there has been a sudden increase in the count of extremely obese Americans//, with a body mass index of 40 or more.

Accordingly, not only has the proportion of extremely overweight people increased by 50 percent from 2000 to 2005(twice as fast as the increase in moderate obesity), there has also been an increase by 24 percent of overweight people (BMI of 30 or more), and a 75 percent increase of the proportion of those with a BMI of 50.

Since the last two decades, this has been the highest percentage increase ever to occur in the heaviest weight groups.

A body mass index, or BMI, is a ratio of weight to height and those men who weigh 300 pounds at a height of 5 feet 10 inches are considered morbidly obese. However a severely obese woman is described as the one who weighs 250 pounds at a height of 5 feet 4 inches.

Experts are voicing their concerns over the sudden increase of people whose BMI are higher than normal, in spite of increased public awareness on the risks of obesity and the increased use of drastic weight loss strategies.

CDC data has also added that nearly three percent of Americans are severely obese and health officials are worried over the health costs for severely obese people. These are expected to be double that of normal weight people. In comparison, health costs for moderately obese people are expected to be 25 percent more.

Say experts, people who are very obese are at increased risks for diabetes, heart disease, cancer and many other diseases.

The total economic costs of obesity in the U.S are marked at more than $100 billion annually.
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