The Perils of Obesity
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Consider these facts.
- 64% of adults, or 127 million people, are overweight
- 32% of children are overweight
- 10 million people are morbidly obese
- 400,000 obesity-related deaths occur annually
Increased obesity is associated with increased comorbidities, or coexisting medical conditions, including
- Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Asthma
- Back and lower extremity problems
- Depression
Obesity worsens health and quality of life and shortens life expectancy. In fact, a recent study concluded that obesity in adulthood is associated with a decrease in life expectancy of about 7 years in both men and women.
Obesity is the second-leading preventable cause of death after smoking.
The good news is that weight loss can improve or even eliminate other medical conditions, improve quality of life and increase your life expectancy.
Could you benefit from minimally invasive weight-loss surgery?
