Obesity: A public health approach

摘要

Public attention has turned to obesity, and for good reason. Fully 1.5 billion people worldwide are considered overweight or obese. In the United States twice as many adults are overweight as are not. Being obese is associated with numerous health problems including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, sleep-disordered breathing, and certain cancers. The economic impact of obesity is also great: the direct costs account for 5% to 7% of health care costs in the United States.