Americans May Be More Active, But Is It Enough to Combat the Obesity Epidemic?

A large and unsettling tale that continues to unravel in America and other countries is the rise in obesity among both adults and children. Of course, we've all heard so much about the phrase "obesity epidemic," but what are we doing right now to improve our image and the current situation at hand?

According to new statistics from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) from the University of Washington, a portion of Americans are showing a higher level of participation in physical activity--a promising start that the country is making overall progress towards a healthier life.

"Around the country, you can see huge increases in the percentage of people becoming physically active, which research tells us is certain to have health benefits," the IHME Director, Dr. Christopher Murray said according to the press release. "If communities in the U.S. can replicate this success and tackle the ongoing obesity impact, it will see more substantial health gains."

Researchers believe that an increased level of physical activity could indicate a reduction in chronic illnesses, cardiovascular diseases and even death. Though 2001 to 2009 shows an increase in obesity rates in the country, researchers detailed the rates of physical activity, obesity and overall life expectancy for men and women from different counties, according to background information from the study.

"There has been a lot of progress on physical activity," said Dr. Christopher Murray, lead author of the research, which was published in the journal Population Health Metrics. "To tackle obesity, we need to do this. But we probably also need to do more. ... Just counting on physical activity is not going to be the solution."

The counties that carried the most active men and women in 2011 were Teton, WY (77.5 percent) and Routt, CO (74.7 percent), approximately. Those on the opposite end with more sedentary individuals include Owsley, KY (33.1 percent) and Issaquena, MS (28.4 percent)

It's estimated that today, more than one-third of U.S. adults and approximately 17 percent of children are obese, according to the federal centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And many health experts believe that an increase in exercise alone is not enough to change overall health. A restricted diet is also necessary.

What do you think?