Obesity
Obesity is a chronic condition defined by an excess amount of body fat. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. One in three Americans is now obese.

Obesity is also increasing rapidly throughout the world, and the incidence of obesity nearly doubled in the '90s. Obesity is considered a chronic (long-term) disease, like high blood pressure or diabetes. Obesity has many serious long-term consequences for your health, and it is the second leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States.

National Cancer Institute statistics show obesity is on the rise in the US:*

• Nearly 2/3 of all adults are overweight – 129.6 million or 64.5 percent, with nearly 1/3 categorized as obese – 61.3 million or 30.5 percent.
• From 1960 to 2000, the prevalence of overweight increased from 31.5 to 33.6 percent in U.S. adults. The prevalence of obesity during the same time period more than doubled from 13.3 to 30.9 percent, most of the rise occurring over the last 20 years.
• The cost of overweight and obesity in the United States is estimated at $117 billion. However, this is acknowledged as an underestimate since it is based on the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 1995, a statistic that has increased significantly since that time.
• Obese individuals have a 50-100 percent increased risk of death from all causes, compared with normal-weight individuals, mostly due to cardiovascular causes.
• Life expectancy of a moderately obese person could be shortened by 2 to 5 years. Those who are morbidly obese (BMI > 45) could shorten their life expectancy by as much as 20 years.
• Obesity and physical inactivity may account for 25 to 30 percent of several major cancers—colon, breast (postmenopausal), endometrial, kidney, and cancer of the esophagus. Regular physical activity lowers the risk of colon and breast cancers and avoiding weight gain can lower the risk of cancers of the breast (postmenopausal), endometrium, colon, kidney, and esophagus

Did you know?
If maintained, even weight losses as small as 10 percent can lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, lower risk of diabetes.

Health care costs and loss of work productivity are on the rise. Both overweight and obesity are known risk factors for:

• diabetes
• coronary heart disease
• high blood cholesterol
• stroke
• hypertension
• gallbladder disease
• osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and bone of joints)
• sleep apnea and other breathing problems
• certain forms of cancer (uterine, breast, colorectal, kidney, and gallbladder)

Health complications associated with obesity include:

• complications of pregnancy
• menstrual irregularities
• hirsutism (presence of excess body and facial hair)
• stress incontinence (urine leakage caused by weak pelvic floor muscles)
• psychological disorders, such as depression
• increased surgical risk
• increased mortality

*Primary Source: 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

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