According to Centers for Disease Control, obesity is responsible for over 100,000 deaths per year. While we are all generally aware of its consequences the chart below graphically demonstrates that obesity affects every part of the body.
Obesity continues to climb. There were 2.4 million more obese people in 2009 than 2007. We now have 72 million obese adults in the U.S. Health care costs from obesity almost doubled from 80 billion to 143 billion in the past decade, with no end in sight. Childhood obesity rate have tripled in the last 30 years, putting those kids at increased risk for many of the same diseases as adults.
The fact that we are losing the war now does not mean we can’t ultimately win - in fact we must. While there are no easy solutions to this crisis, the CDC is working hard to get the word out about obesity, its consequences, and strategies for managing it. Many of their recommendations will be familiar to you, but it can’t hurt to review them again; maybe you’ll pick up something new or be inspired by something you read, see or hear.
There is a wealth of printed information as well as podcasts and videos. The site is big and somewhat overwhelming so here is an article and a video to get started with.
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