America is Smoking Less but Getting Fatter

America is facing a sustained obesity crisis. Many doctors are warning that the fat scourge is reaching epidemic proportions. Some experts believe that obesity is responsible for more ill health than smoking. Diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are just three prominent illnesses that are caused by obesity.

Official figures from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that while the smoking rate in the United States has dropped, with obesity it’s the other way round. The overall rate of adults (20 years or older) who have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more has increased from 30.5 to 37.7 percent in the course of four years. People with a BMI between 25 and 30 are considered overweight.

One of the reasons smokers cite why they don't want to quit is that ex-smokers get fat. Disclaimer: this infographic is in no way intended to prevent people from quitting to smoke because they could gain weight. This chart is part of a new series called "Out of Bounds" which sets out to produce thought provoking, slightly edgy, content on a weekly basis.