By Staff Writer (media@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Jun 23, 2015 05:51 AM EDT

A new study revealed that there are currently more obese than overweight individuals in the United States.

The study, published on the online journal JAMA Internal Medicine, revealed that an estimated 67.6 million Americans above 25 years old were categorized as obese as of 2012, while 65.2 million were deemed overweight. The count was conducted by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, based on data gathered from 2007 to 2012 as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

LA Times reported that the NHANES information included variosu statistics like weight and height to compute an individual’s body mass index (BMI). A person with a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 was categorized as normal, those with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 were deemed overweight and those with a BMI above 30 were placed in the category of obese. Women were found to be more likely to become obese than overweight. Two out of three women in the United States were either overweight or obese. As for the men, 35 percent were reported to be obese, while 40 percent were overweight. Three out of four men in the United States were above their normal weight.

The study also showed that African Americans had the highest rates of obesity, regardless of gender. 39 percent of black men were obese and 7 percent were extremely obese. 57 percent of black women were obese and 17 percent were extremely obese. A BMI above 40 categorized a person as extremely obese. 38 percent of Mexican American men and 43 percent of Mexican American women were obese. 35 percent of white males and 34 percent of white females were obese. Asian Americans were not yet tallied by the NHANES surveys.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute cited that being obese or overweight boosts a person’s risk for several chronic health conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, different type of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Study co-author Lin Yang said about the findings on CBS News, “We see this as a wake-up call to implement policies and practices designed to combat overweight and obesity, to implement what we already know into place to accelerate the obesity prevention and treatment. Population-based strategies may help to alter the obesity trend through physical environment interventions, enhancing primary care efforts, and shifting society norms of behavior.”

The findings are expected to make people more aware about the risks and preventive measures. Individuals should be educated and encouraged to take on healthier lifestyles.

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