In US, obese outweigh overweight

The number of obese American adults outweighs the number of those who are merely overweight, according to the latest statistics from the US government.

Numbers posted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) show that more than 34 percent of Americans are obese, compared to 32.7 percent who are overweight. It said just under 6 percent are "extremely" obese.

"More than one-third of adults, or over 72 million people, were obese in 2005-2006, the NCHS said in its report. The numbers are based on a survey of 4,356 adults over the age of 20 who take part in a regular government survey of health, said the NCHS, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figures come from the 2005-2006 survey and are the most current available.