There's plenty of evidence these days that America is becoming increasingly bifurcated. New figures from the National Center for Health Statistics seem to provide even more.
First, the good news: A record number of adults met federal benchmarks for weekly aerobic activity. More than 52% said they did either two and a half hours of moderate activity or 75 minutes of "vigorous" aerobic activity every week. That's a significant increase from a decade ago, when only 40% met such guidelines. Men were more likely to reach those levels than women in every age group.
Meanwhile, around 8% report having been told they have diabetes. While not great, the number has held steady for about a decade.
Unfortunately, one negative indicator continues to increase. Some 31% of respondents were obese based on BMI -- a new high. Those 40 to 60 years old reported the highest prevalence at more than 35%.
The chart below shows the number of adults who reported meeting federal benchmarks for aerobic activity, those who were obese based on BMI and those with diabetes since 1997. The 2016 figures reflect only the first half of the year.