Trends in BMI and obesity in U.S. women of childbearing age during the period of 1980-2010

Statistical analyses and simulation are combined to provide insights about the trends in weight gain in U.S. women of childbearing age. This population is of specific interest because it is central to understanding the trans-generational effects of obesity in future U.S. populations. We estimated BMI trends among women of childbearing age during the period 1980-2010 using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Then, we introduce a secondary approach; using the BMI profile of women by age and race as it was before the onset of the obesity epidemic (1970-1980) we project the BMI of women during the period 1980-2010 using U.S. Census demographic information. Hence, we compare the real-world situation to the age-adjusted scenario without the obesity epidemic. We found that there are differences in weight gain in black and white women, the racial disparity has worsened over time and that changes in the racial disparity were not because of changes in the age structure of the population.