Obesity: Problems and Opportunities
PROBLEMS:
Increase of Overweight and Obese Population Reaches Epidemic Proportions:
Six out of 10 Americans are defined as overweight; that's double the 1980 figure and high enough for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to declare obesity a national health crisis. That is why the American Medical Association (AMA) is working to halt the spread of obesity.
http://www.surgeongeneral.gove/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact
Health Consequences of Obesity
- Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases and health conditions, including the following:
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
- Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
- Type 2 diabetes
- Coronary heart disease
- Stroke
- Gallbladder disease
- Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
- Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
Overweight and Obesity: Health Consequences (last modified May 22, 2007)
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/consequences.htm.
Additional related consequences:
- acanthosis nigricans
- biliary calculi
- cardiovascular disease in women
- cardiovascular disorders
- congestive heart failure
- coronary heart disease
- diabetes mellitus
- glucose intolerance
- high density lipoprotein cholesterol
- hyperinsulinemia
- hypertension
- insulin resistance
- intracranial hemorrhages
- ischemic stroke
- lipoproteins
- vldl
- low density lipoprotein increased
- lung diseases
- male hypogonadism
- menstruation-related disorders
- obesity
- obstructive sleep apnea
- oligomenorrhea
- osteoarthritis
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- sleep apnea syndromes
- stroke
- triglycerides
- venous stasis syndrome
- waist-hip ratio.
Pathologic Consequences of Obesity (visited July 23, 2008)
<http://www.accesspharmacy.com/content.aspx?aID=2881447>.
FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES:
Dieting for Dollars - Despite The Economic Climate, These are Boom Times for the Weight-Loss Industry
Polls show that a quarter of all Americans are dieting. Their pain is the diet industry's gain: According to research firm Marketdata Enterprises, sales of weight-loss programs and products hit $24 billion last year, up 7 percent from a year earlier.
Market data projects 6.0% annual growth for the total U.S. weight loss market, to $68.7 billion by 2010. Consumers spend more than $150 million every day on diets and weight loss programs.
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2003/04/01/339804/index.htm
PATIENT OPPORTUNITIES:
Physician Counseling Boosts Weight-Loss Program Success
Weight-loss programs that include dietary counseling can help dieters shed, on average, six percent of body weight more each year, according to a new study. For most people, that translates into a loss of 10 to 15 pounds, researchers say.
The team at the Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, analyzed 46 studies focused on weight loss. They compared data from almost 6,400 people whose programs included dietary counseling and almost 5,500 people who were not in these types of programs. Programs with frequent meetings and calorie restrictions resulted in more successful weight loss over time, according to the study, which is published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.