FitFeud Corporate Wellness Blog

Move the Needle: What a 1% BMI reduction would do for the US population

Lost in the news about the study that projected a 50% obesity rate in the US by 2030 was some information that, if looked at with the right attitude, was promising.

The study found that "a population level decrease in BMI by just 1% would avoid 2.05 to 2.4 million diabetes cases, 1.4 to 1.7 million cases of heart disease and stroke, and 73,000 to 127,000 cancer cases," as pointed out in a recent American Medical News article.

Just one percent, and just look at the impact that will have! We can do that, can't we?! * 

The cost of inaction is too high, and the benefits of even small gains are too great to not shoot for.

This isn't about finding the end-all be-all solution to obesity. This isn't about chasing down the ultimate root cause. This is about moving the needle. Helping people take the first step. Then the next.

Track the hashtag #movetheneedle on Twitter to keep up with other news and info related to the idea that small changes and slight gains can make a big difference.

* (FitFeud weight loss competitions regularly produce average BMI reductions of 2% or more, by the way.)