Diabetes Overweight and Weight-Loss
by fk
Filed under Diabetes Diet
More than 60 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese, according
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While the number
of overweight people has been slowly climbing since the 1980s, the number
of obese adults has nearly doubled since then.
Excess weight and physical inactivity account for more than 300,000 premature
deaths each year in the United States, second only to deaths related to
smoking, says the CDC. People who are overweight or obese are more likely
to develop heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallbladder
disease and joint pain caused by excess uric acid (gout). Excess weight
can also cause interrupted breathing during sleep (sleep apnea) and wearing
away of the joints (osteoarthritis).
To address the public health epidemic of being overweight or obese, former
Surgeon General David Satcher issued a "call to action" in December
2001. Satcher’s report, The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent
and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, outlined strategies that communities
can use in helping to address the problems. Those options included requiring
physical education at all school grades, providing more healthy food options
on school campuses, and providing safe and accessible recreational facilities
for residents of all ages.
