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Obesity
Obesity
seems to be plaguing American citizens even from an early age. People
in the United States spend millions of dollars on diet pills and
appetite suppressants. In addition, even more Americans find themselves
in the over weight category.
In 1962, research statistics showed that the percentage of obesity
in America’s population was at 13%. By 1980 it has risen to
15% -- by 1994 to 23% - and by the year 2000 the obesity progression
in America had reached an unprecedented 31%.
Obesity is a serious medical disease that affects
over a quarter of adults in the United States , and about 14% of
children and adolescents. It is the second leading cause of preventable
death after smoking.
Obesity Facts
Obesity is a chronic disease with a strong familial
component.
Obesity increases the risk of developing health related risks like
high blood pressure, diabetes (type 2), heart disease, stroke, gallbladder
disease and cancer of the breast, prostate and colon.
Health insurance companies rarely pay for obesity treatment despite
its serious effects on health.
The tendency toward obesity is often due to our environment: lack
of physical activity combined with high-calorie, low-cost foods.
If maintained, even weight loss as small as 10 percent of body weight
can improve one's health.
A thin line exists between overweight & obesity
Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI)
of 25 to 29.9 kg/m 2 and obesity as a BMI of > 30 kg/m 2 . However,
overweight and obesity are not mutually exclusive, since obese persons
are also overweight.
All overweight and obese adults (age 18 years of
age or older) with a BMI of > 25 are considered at risk for developing
associated diseases such as hypertension, high blood cholesterol,
type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and other diseases. Individuals
with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight, while individuals
with a BMI >30 are considered obese.
Treatment of obesity should focus on producing
substantial weight loss over a prolonged period. The presence of
co morbidities in obese patients should be considered when deciding
on treatment options.
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