The line graph illustrates the obesity rates among four age groups in one country from 1971 to 2005.
Overall, all age groups experienced significant increases in obesity rates over the period, although there were some fluctuations. The 45–64 age group had the highest obesity rate by the end of the period, while younger adults consistently had the lowest rates.
In detail, for the 18–29 and 30–44 age groups, the obesity rates began at approximately 7% and 15% in 1971, respectively, and remained unchanged until 1976. Both groups then experienced sharp increases, with rates for the youngest group rising to 20% and the 30–44 group climbing to 30% by 1988. From this point, the rate for 18–29-year-olds rose gradually, stabilizing just below 25% after 1999. In contrast, the 30–44 age group saw minor fluctuations but ended the period at just over 35% in 2005.
For the older groups, aged 45–64 and 65–74, the trends were similar, but the rates were higher overall. Both groups started at around 17% in 1971 and increased modestly to nearly 19% by 1976. After that, there was a dramatic rise, with rates reaching 36% for both groups in 1999. However, while the obesity rate for the 45–64 group continued to rise, peaking at 40% in 2005, the rate for the 65–74 group declined slightly to finish at 35%.