By Deana M. Newman, M.A., C.C.P.
Ok…it seems no matter how often the public is educated on the dangers of being overweight or obese, the prevalence of the disorder continues to exacerbate. What is the next step to control the problem? Most would say it’s an internalized decision made by the individual to take control, however, at this point, an effective solution of influence must be found sooner rather than later.
According to a 2008 study published in the Obesity Research Journal and conducted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the University of Pennsylvania-School of Medicine, eighty-six percent of American adults will be either overweight or obese by the year 2030. The phenomenon is also predicted to add an additional financial burden of $956.9 billion to the country’s health care spending.
A further analysis of the study predicts ninety-one percent of Mexican-American men will be overweight or obese by the year 2030 and one-hundred percent of American adults will be overweight or obese by 2048. The authors also estimated that the prevalence of overweight/obesity will affect the African-American women population at a rate of one-hundred percent by the year 2034.
So what is the meaning of it all? – An enormous risk of Americans developing serious medical conditions such as: Type 2 Diabetes, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, sleep apnea which can lead to poor health overall and even premature death.
For additional information on the above study, read “Will All Americans Become Overweight or Obese? Estimating the Progression and Cost of the U.S. Obesity Epidemic.” at http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v16/n10/abs/oby2008351a.html
What are you doing to avoid becoming a statistic?
