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Obesity & Diabetes Type 2 |
Obesity is a condition in which the natural energy
reserve of humans or other mammals, which is stored
in fat tissue, is expanded far beyond usual levels
to the point where it impairs health.
In humans, it is considered a major challenge to
health.
Scientists know that excessive body weight
predisposes to various forms of disease,
particularly diabetes type 2 and cardiovascular
disease. Many people undertake weight-loss regimens
for aesthetic reasons, but many more are in a state
of denial, unwilling participants of the first
serious epidemic of the 21st. century.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that
more than one half the adult population of the
United States is overweight. An estimated 30 percent
of U.S. adults aged 20 years and older—over 60
million people—are obese.
The number of children and adolescents who are
overweight increases at an alarming pace, and the
number of overweight preschoolers has doubled in the
last 10 years. At the beginning of this century, one
in five children in the United States was overweight.
Some areas now report one in three children. One
third of newly diagnosed cases of diabetes type 2
are in youngsters under 19 years of age, and that
number is increasing steadily. It is estimated that
this is the first generation of children that will
live less than their parents.
As with many medical conditions, obesity and
diabetes type 2 develop due to a combination of
genetic and environmental factors. Although many
people may have a genetic propensity toward both, it
is only with the reduction in physical activity and
a move towards high-calorie diets of modern society
that they have become widespread.
This is most notable in the United States. Since
1980, the growth in the rate of obesity has
accelerated markedly and is increasingly becoming a
public health concern. Among the causes for the
increase are a lack of activity—a greater percent of
the population spends its entire workday behind a
desk or computer, without exercise—an overabundance
of food, and increased marketing. Since the early
’80s, advertising to children was expanded and
television hours seen by the average child increased
greatly. Many of these commercials are for fast food
and foods with high sugar content.
Obesity rates increase as urban sprawl increases,
possibly due to less walking, increased driving and
less time for cooking and consume more prepared
foods. More cities are built without sidewalks and
parks. Since 1980, both sit-in and fast-food
restaurants have seen dramatic growth in terms of
the number of outlets and customers served. Low food
costs, and intense competition for market share,
have led to increased portion sizes, calories and
unhealthy ingredients.
Diseases and other health problems attributed to
obesity include high blood pressure, high blood
cholesterol, high triglyceride levels, and diabetes
type 2, which in turn predispose for cardiovascular
disease. The American Medical Association also
credits obesity with causing endocrine,
gastrointestinal, renal and genitourinary, skin and
musculoskeletal, neurological, respiratory, and
psychological problems, including depression, low
self-esteem, and social stigmatization.
The best treatment for obesity is an energy-limited
diet and increased exercise. Many patients are
unable to make the required sacrifices. Advice on
good nutrition, healthy eating, and promoting a more
active life style are a much better investment than
other methods of treatment, especially in the young.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes
childhood overweight and obesity as a serious health
concern. On July 16, 2004, the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services officially classified
obesity as a disease.
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Diabetes Data
Twenty cents of every health-care dollar is used for
the treatment of diabetes and its complications.
The American Cancer Society reports that 90,000
annual deaths are related to obesity.
An estimated 65 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 years
and older are either overweight or obese.
One third of children born in the year 2000 will
develop diabetes type 2 in their lifetime. |
“Health consequences related to overweight
can begin in childhood or adolescence; overweight
children and adolescents are at increased risk for
various chronic diseases in later life. Nearly 60
percent of overweight children had at least one
cardiovascular risk, 25 percent of overweight
children had two or more risk factors. The
psychosocial consequences of overweight are
significant. Overweight in children has been linked
to social discrimination, a negative self-image in
adolescence that often persists into adulthood,
parental neglect, and behavioral and learning
problems.”—The Centers for Disease Control.
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Dr. Gedissman is the medical director
of PowerPlayMD-OC, the first comprehensive pediatric
weight-management program for children and
adolescents in Orange County, Calif. For more
information, visit www.leankids.net or call (714)
919-0280. |
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