More obese and overweight Americans are throwing in the towel when it comes to shedding pounds.
According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, fewer people are trying to lose weight now than in the past. Researchers at Georgia Southern University looked at nearly 30,000 overweight or obese people between 1988 and 2014.
They found the number of people actively trying to lose weight dropped from 56% in the beginning of the study to 49% at the end.
Right now more than a third of American adults are obese according to the Center for Disease Control. One in six children and adolescents are currently obese. Being obese can lead to conditions like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer -- all of which are preventable leading causes of death.
Researchers in the study found being overweight or obese is becoming more socially acceptable with misinformation that many cases of obesity are driven by genes and other inevitable factors.
