Americans have more choices when it comes to food than anyone else on the planet.
While we are constantly seduced by hot fudge sundaes, double cheeseburgers, stuffed-crust pizza and deep-fried doughnuts, we are expected to be as lean as the models that grace the covers of fashion magazines.
How many people have the willpower to resist temptation time and time again?
A small minority, it would seem. In 2005, approximately two thirds of the Americans adult population was classified as overweight or obese, with about one third fitting into the overweight category and the other third being obese.
The harsh reality is that fewer than one third of Americans have healthy body weights.
Overweight and obesity come with a hefty price tag - $100 billion a year in medical bills and more than 400,000 premature deaths each year.
Excess body fat causes unwanted changes to the basic functioning of the human body, adversely affecting blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, respiration, fertility, skin and joint health, hormones and insulin action.
Such changes significantly increase the risk for debilitating and often fatal health conditions, including the following:
- Cancer
- Gallbladder disease
- Gout
- Heart disease and stroke
- Kidney disease
- Osteoarthritis
- Sleep apnea
- Type 2 diabetes
That puts an obese 30 year old in the same risk group as a normal weight 50 year old for developing serious medical problems.
The Obesity Battle
