Boston (dbTechno) - The life expectancy of women in the U.S. has declined for the first time in 90 years, with a lot of it being blamed on the obesity epidemic in parts of the United States.

Researchers published a report on the online medical journal PLoS on Monday, stating that all the way up until the 1980s and 1990s, the life expectancy of men and women saw steady increases.

Since then though, following the 1980s, a decline was seen in some groups of men, and in larger groups of women.

The researchers found that the biggest problems were in the southern part of the United States. Locations such as Mississippi, Texas, and others saw the greatest declines in terms of life expectancy for women.

Beyond obesity. lung cancer and emphysema also played a major role in the life expectancy of women declining.

It is clear that health officials need to do something as these declines were not seen in other countries.