Fatter and Sicker: What to do about the Growing Obesity Epidemic

Have you ever leafed through a photo album from back in the ‘50s or ‘60s? Chances are, the people you see from that era, on average, will be more slender than most people you see today. The reason? In the four decades from 1960 to 2000, weight of the average American increased by 24 pounds. And today, 34.9 percent of the population is classified as obese. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer―some of the leading causes of preventable death―are all obesity-related diseases. With rising incidence of disease, healthcare costs have spiraled, and medical costs for obesity reached $147 billion in 2008. U.S. Medical costs for obese people outstripped costs for people of normal weight by $1,429. People seem to be more health-conscious these days, but the obesity epidemic isn’t slowing. It’s time to find out why. . . . Read More