This information
on obesity is provided by the National Institutes of Health: The
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
and is provided here as a convenience. Please check www.niddk.nih.gov for updated information.
About 2 out of 3 U.S. adults are overweight
or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC).
That means
about 129 million Americans are above a healthy weight and at
increased risk for a variety of medical conditions. Overweight
and obesity
disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority populations
and people of lower socioeconomic status. The total economic
cost of obesity in the United States is about $117 billion per
year,
including more than $50 billion in avoidable medical costs.
Click on the topic below for details
What
is Obesity
Obesity can be defined as a person having excess body weight
that is the result of an abnormally high percentage of body fat Morbid
obesity is a subset of persons who are obese. The people have the
largest excess of weight and related risk of developing other
health conditions. A simple definition of morbid obesity is that
a person
is 100 or more pounds above their optimal body weight.
Causes of Obesity
There are many causes of obesity
and many obese persons experience more than one of these causes.
Obesity occurs when a person's calorie
intake exceeds the amount of energy he or she burns.
Genetic
Factors
Obesity tends to run in families, but since
family members share diet and lifestyle habits as well as genes,
identifying genetics
as the
sole cause may be difficult. Many people genetically predisposed
to obesity do not become obese or manage to lose the weight
and keep it
off.
Environmental Factors
Environmental factors include lifestyle behaviors, such as
diet and activity levels. Psychological Factors
Many people eat in response to negative emotions, such as
boredom, sadness or anger. Most overweight people have
no more psychological
disturbance than normal weight people, but about 30 percent
of people seeking treatment for serious weight problems
have trouble with binge
eating. Binge eaters consume large amounts of food while
feeling they can't control how much they are eating.
Other
Causes
Some illnesses, including hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome,
depression and certain neurological problems can lead to
overeating. Certain
drugs, such as steroids and some antidepressants, may cause
excessive weight
gain. A doctor can make the diagnosis in these cases, which
are believed to be responsible for only about one percent
of all obesity cases.
Health Risks of Obesity
The more obese a person is, the more likely he or she is
to develop health problems. For example, someone who is
40 percent overweight
is twice as likely to die prematurely as an average-weight
person. This effect is seen after 10 to 30 years of being
obese.
Increased Risk of Premature Death
An estimated 300,000 American deaths a year are related
to obesity. The risk of premature death rises with increasing
weight. Even moderate
weight gain (10 to 20 pounds for a person of average height)
increases the risk of death, particularly among adults
aged
30 to 64 years.
Individuals who are obese (BMI greater than 30) have a
50 to 100% increased risk
of premature death from all causes, compared to individuals
with a healthy weight.
Increased Risk of Heart Disease
The risk of heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden
cardiac death, angina or chest pain is increased in persons
who are overweight
or obese (BMI greater than 25). High blood pressure is
twice as common in adults who are obese than in those who
are at
a healthy weight.
Obesity is associated with high triglycerides and decreased
HDL cholesterol.
Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
A weight increase of 11-18 pounds raises
a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes to twice that of
individuals
who have not gained
weight. Over 80% of people with diabetes are overweight
or obese. This may
account for the newly invented word, "diabesity"®,
which signifies the close association between obesity and
diabetes.
Increased Risk of Cancers
Obesity is associated with an increased risk for some types
of cancer including endometrial (cancer of the lining of
the uterus), colon,
gall bladder, prostate, kidney, and post-menopausal breast
cancer. Women gaining more than 20 pounds from age 18 to
midlife double their
risk of post-menopausal breast cancer, compared to women
whose weight remains stable.
Increased Risk of Breathing
Problems
Sleep apnea (that is, interrupted breathing during sleeping)
is more common in obese persons. Obesity is associated
with a higher prevalence
of asthma.
Increased Risk of Arthritis
For every 2-pound increase in weight, the
risk of arthritis increases by about 10 percent.
Health Risks
For Expectant Mother and Baby.
Obesity in pregnancy
is associated with a higher risk of death in both the baby and
the mother. It also raises the
risk of high blood
pressure
in the Mom, by 10 times. Obesity during pregnancy is also
associated with an increased risk of birth defects, such
as spina bifida.
Health Improvements After Weight Reduction
The good news is that losing a small
amount of weight can reduce your chances of developing heart disease
or a stroke.
Reducing your
weight
by 10 percent can decrease your chance of developing heart
disease by improving how your heart works, blood pressure,
and levels of
blood cholesterol and triglycerides. Studies show that
you can improve your
health by losing as little as 10 to 20 pounds.
Psychological
and Social Effects of Obesity
Emotional suffering may be
one of the most painful parts of obesity. American society
emphasizes physical appearance
and often equates
attractiveness with slimness, especially for women. Such
messages make overweight
people feel unattractive.
There are also a variety of
other diseases that may not be immediately life=-threatening,
but contribute to a
lower quality of life.
 |
Osteoarthritis – excess weight increases
the strain on joints and cartilage, especially in the lower
extremieties. |
 |
Gastro-esophageal reflux - stomach acid
enters the esophagus causing heart burn. |
|
Urinary stress incontinence – reduced
bladder control that can cause urination when a person laughs
or coughs. |
Costs of Obesity
Research proves that people could live longer
and healthier at an ideal body weight. The average American has
gained
around 8 pounds
in the
past 10 years. LSU researchers estimate that "the
direct costs of obesity in the United States is now
at 39.3 billion dollars a year.
That is more than 5% of all medical costs".
Market
Data Enterprises says " Americans spend another
$38 billion a year trying to lose weight".
Other researchers report that after a four and a half
year study "the
costs of long-term weight loss on one popular very-low-calorie
diet program was $286.36 per pound"!! Long-term
weight loss is not only expensive, but very hard to
attain.
According to a Calorie Control Council (Atlanta,
Ga.)
survey, 48 million, or 25% of the U.S. adult population
are currently
on a diet.
An earlier
study in 1993 by the FDA Center for Food Safety and
Applied Nutrition, 62 % of American men and 71% of
American women
were trying to lose
weight.
Obesity is not just a concern of a morbidly
obese person. The problems affect society as a whole since obesity
contributes to the incidence
of chronic disease. According to the Surgeon General "Obesity,
with it's rank among the top ten diseases, may be America's
number-one contributor to health care costs".
SOURCE: www.niddk.nih.gov
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