Weigh This: San Mateo County Residents Are Getting Fatter

Written by Heather Martino

America’s epidemic of fatness extends all the way to San Mateo County, with obesity rates at 22.8 percent for men and 25.5 percent for women in 2011. Using the map above, you can see the rate was only 18.4 percent for men and 20.4 percent for women in 2001.

Obesity in the state of California increased only slightly more than San Mateo County, with a 5.3 and 5.5 percentage point increase in the same time period for men and women, respectively.

Compared to neighboring Santa Clara County, San Mateo County is slightly slimmer. There, 23.9 percent of males and 28 percent of females are considered obese.

And compared to other states, San Mateo County is slimmer than the national average of 33.8 percent in men and 36.1 percent in women. In 2011, obesity prevalence in the U.S. ranged from 20.7% in Colorado to 34.9% in Mississippi, according to the CDC.

These county figures on the map were obtained from a recent study from the University of Washington, which found that nationwide women are more obese than their male counterparts. 

But men and women aren’t gaining weight at the same rate: In San Mateo County, men reported a 4.4 percent increase, while women’s obesity rates rose 5.1 percent.

According to the CDC, obesity affects more than one-third of adults, or 35.7 percent of the population in the United States. Obesity is calculated by measuring a person’s height and weight, and deriving at a ratio called the body mass index, or BMI. This number often correlates to an individual’s amount of body fat, and is used to ascertain whether a person is considered underweight, a normal weight, overweight or obese.

Obese individuals have a 50-100% increased risk of premature death, and it’s estimated that obesity may be the cause of 300,000 deaths per year according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Interestingly, Americans claim to be exercising more during the same time period that obesity climbed. “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,” said IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray in a press release. Murray added that “If communities in the US can replicate this success and tackle the ongoing obesity impact, it will see more substantial health gains.”

The good news is that there may be silver lining to America’s fat epidemic. While we’re still getting fatter, at least it’s happening at a slower rate than in past years. And if this rate continues to drop, Half Moon Bay might soon be reporting slimmer, healthier residents.