More people have 'beer guts,' 'pot bellies'

A new study confirms American waistlines in men, women continue to grow

A new study finds the number of adults in the United States with abdominal obesity, which is also known as a "beer gut" or a "pot belly," continues to rise and the average waist size of the typical adult in the U.S. is also increasing.

"This paper is very good because it brings up the issue that we are not winning the battle. I mean, we really need to be more aggressive taking care of people with obesity and we need to measure abdominal circumference because if not, we could miss the diagnosis," said Dr. Bartolome  Burguera, the director of Cleveland Clinic's obesity programs.

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Centers for Disease Control researchers used information compiled for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2012.

They found the average waist circumference of men and women aged 20 years and older increased from 37.6 inches in 1999 to 38.8 inches in 2012. Results also show the prevalence of abdominal obesity grew from 46.4 percent in 1999 to 54.2 percent in 2012.

Researchers say the results support the use of routine waist circumference measurements. They say it could lead to steps in preventing, controlling, and managing obesity.

Burguera agrees and says the size of your waistline tells you more than just what size pants you should wear.

"It gives you an idea of your abdominal fat," Burguera explained. "The one that increases your risk of having diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and that's very important, we need to know that if that has increased, that increases your risk of having a heart attack."

Read more about this study in The Journal of the American Medical Association.