Obesity an American Epidemic

Obesity is quickly becoming the number one health epidemic in America and is the reason so many are attempting to find a personal trainer. Although obesity doesn't dominate the headlines like the H1N1 virus, it is considerably more lethal threat to Americans. With health care reform and the budget crisis in Medicare shaping public discourse, the subject is inescapable.  The World Health Organization estimates there are 300 million people classified as obese. In the U.S. alone, there are 97 million obese Americans, nearly one-third of the population.  Poor diet, lack of exercise, and the prevalence of highly processed foods have each contributed to the overall decline in American fitness.

The standard definition of obesity is a person having a BMI over 30. (Body Mass Index or BMI equals a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters.) A BMI of 25 or more qualifies as overweight. A healthy range is 18.5 to 24.9.

More than 30 adverse medical conditions have been been associated with obesity and 15 are considered strongly related. The most serious are diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and osteoarthritis. With the skyrocketing cost of health care in America, the effects of obesity are having an impact on our wallets and our bodies.

Type 2 Diabetes

American studies have shown that 90% of patients with Type 2 diabetes are either overweight or obese. It is the single most contributing factor for the disease and obesity reduces the effectiveness of drug treatments for diabetes. Diabetes is a condition where cells become glucose-starved as the cells are unable to absorb glucose from the blood. The illness causes patients lose the ability to use the hormone insulin, which facilitate the glucose-transporting process in the cells. Diabetes often leads to blindness, kidney failure, and, in extreme cases, amputations. Type 2 diabetes, often referred to as adult-onset diabetes, increased 85% in the last decade.

Hypertension

A whopping 75% of high blood pressure (hypertension) cases are directly caused by obesity. Obese patients are five times more likely to develop high blood pressure with the results being consistent across genders, ages, and ethnic groups. Hypertension is often the first of many adverse effects of obesity to be diagnosed. It is frequently followed by high cholesterol, diabetes, and worse developments. Left untreated, high blood pressure weakens the heart muscle and hardens the blood vessels. In turn this raises the likelihood of heart attack and stroke.

Heart Disease

Obesity contributes to heart disease by raising the level of triglycerides and bad cholesterol (LDL). It significantly raises the risk of heart attack and stroke, with the effects appearing as early as childhood for obese patients. In addition, it frequently leads to angina and abnormal heart rhythm. The effects seem to be magnified in obese patients between 55 and 64.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis of the back, knee, hips, and hands has been directly attributed to obesity and BMI’s over 25. Each additional pound of fat puts stress on joints, causing wear and tear on cartilage. This often leads to a vicious cycle where joint pain causes inactivity, leading to more weight gain, which leads to more joint pain. Patients in their 40’s and 50’s who are obese often display the joint wear and incidents of arthritis as the average senior citizen.

Cancer

A direct link to breast cancer and obesity has been established in several studies.  The risk increases after menopause. Obesity increases the risk of cancer of the prostate, esophagus, colorectal cancer, renal cell cancer, and endometrial cancer. Studies have shown that obesity raises the likelihood of contracting these types of cancers anywhere from 25 to 33%. 

Brain Function and Alzheimer’s

One of the newest findings on the health effects of obesity is the condition’s impact on brain function. The UCLA based study showed that obese subjects had eight percent less brain tissue than fit subjects. Obesity causes the brains of subjects to look a full sixteen years older than healthy patients. This accelerated brain degeneration hastens the onslaught of Alzheimer's, dementia, and other diseases.

Obesity attacks the frontal and temporal lobes which are important for planning and memory. It also attacks the hippocampus, sensory lobe, and areas of the brain that control attention, movement, and long-term memory.

The total health care costs of obesity are staggering. As demonstrated above, it leads to a variety of complications and illnesses that lower quality of life, drive up insurance premiums, and tax our medical infrastructure. Yet, obesity can largely be prevented through healthy life choices and better public awareness. With over a third of the population affected, the time to act is now.