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Young adults face obesity, injury risk

Posted on: Wednesday, 18 February 2009, 22:08 CST

Young U.S. adults face obesity, high injury rates and lack of insurance coverage compared with older adults, health officials said.

Health, United States: 2008 is the 32nd annual edition of the report prepared by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. It includes a compilation of health data from a number of sources within the federal government and in the private sector.

This edition features a special section on adults ages 18-29, a group making many life choices that will affect both their future economic and health status. Those decisions decisions range from education to marriage and childbearing to health behaviors such as tobacco and alcohol use.

The report also said:

-- Obesity rates have risen from 8 percent in 1971-1974 to 24 percent in 2005-2006.

-- In 2006, 29 percent of young men were cigarette smokers, compared with 21 percent of young adult women.

-- In 2005, unintentional injuries or accidents, homicide and suicide accounted for 70 percent of deaths among young adults ages 18-29.

-- In 2006, 34 percent of adults ages 20-24 had no health insurance and 29 percent of adults ages 25-29 lacked health insurance.

Source: United Press International

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