Obesity among adults has doubled in the past 15 years, and the rate of
severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] > 40) has more than quadrupled.
Today, roughly two thirds of adults are overweight (BMI 25–30) or obese (BMI > 30), and roughly 5% have a BMI over 40. Moreover, it is well established that as BMI increases, so too does the risk of several diseases, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and several forms of cancers. 3–5 The relationship between increasing BMI and the rate and cost of injury, however, is less well established.
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