In U.S., more cite obesity as most urgent health problem

In 1999, just 1 percent of Americans told Gallup that obesity was an urgent health concern. Today, according to the latest results from Gallup’s annual Health and Healthcare survey, 16 percent of Americans say it’s a problem. Obesity now ranks third on the list of the nation’s urgent health concerns, according to the Americans surveyed, behind only access to healthcare and the cost of healthcare. Rising concern is in step with rising obesity rates; about 26 percent of adults qualify as obese, a percentage that doubled between 1980 and 2008.