Obesity in America 2
Table of Contents
1. Title Page Page 1
2. Introduction Page 3-4
3. Contribution to Physical Inactivity Page 4
4. Healthy People 2010/Leading Health Indicators Page 5-6
5. Local Community Page 6-7
6. Meeting the Goal of Healthy People 2010 Page 7-10
7. Conclusion Page 10-11
8. Reference Page Page 12
Obesity in America 3
Obesity in America
Today, in the developed world, the incidence of obesity is rising and there are now as many obese people in the world as there are people suffering from hunger. (Phillip Campbell) The most recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 65 percent of U.S. adults - or about 129.6 million people - are either overweight or obese. (NIH Releases Research Strategy to Fight Obesity Epidemic) While body weight is a personal issue to many individuals, weight is increasingly being seen as a public health problem. This increase in the prevalence of overweight and obese comes at a staggering cost. Inactive lifestyles double the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity, and increase the risks of colon cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, lipid disorders, depression and anxiety. (Addressing a Public Health Epidemic) According to the World Health Organization, 60% to 85% of people in the world who live inactive lifestyles contribute to the obesity epidemic. (Physical Inactivity A Leading Cause of Disease and Disability, Warns WHO).
About 9.4 percent of the national health care expenditures in the United States are directly related to obesity and physical inactivity. (Twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity
Obesity in America 4
continue to threaten the health of Americans). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, direct and indirect costs associated with obesity total $117 billion per year. (Addressing a Public Health Epidemic) Overweight and obes...