6 scary facts about obesity

1. Number of Americans age 20-74 yrs who are obese: >61% (110 million)
2. Rate of increase in obese children from 1960-1991: Doubled
3. Annual Deaths from obesity related causes: 300,000
4. Annual medical expenses and cost of lost productivity: >$100 billion per year
So here is an interesting way to jump start the economy. Make people lose weight.
5. Chronic diseases associated with obesity: heart disease, type 2 DM, HTN, stroke, cancer, gout, gallbladder, genitourinary disease.
6. Specific cancers associated with obesity: endometrial, breast, prostate, colon

References:

1. Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Washington, DC: US Dept of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 1996.
2. McGinnis JM, Foege WH. Actual causes of death in the United States. JAMA. 1993;270:2207-2212.