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Technically, obesity is an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure. It should be considered a chronic, incurable and epidemic disease that involves a complex disorder of appetite regulation and energy metabolism.

Genetic, environmental, cultural, socioeconomics and psychological factors contribute to obesity.

As the chart below shows, obesity increased dramatically from 1988 to 1991. Unfortunately, year 2000 targets established by health professionals have not been met. As much as one-half of the American population is overweight. One in 16 women in the United States is now morbidly obese. And the crisis is now affecting the future generation, with 15% of American children being overweight and another 15% headed that way (source: Time Magazine special issue, June 7, 2004). In Houston, 19% of school-age children are overweight.

Co-morbidity is a term associated with obesity. It is defined as a health risk or socioeconomic factor exacerbated by obesity. Some of the more well-known examples of co-morbidities are:

Medical: hypertension, cardiovascular disease, eating disorders, Type II diabetes, sleep apnea, osteo-arthritis, high cholesterol and triglycerides, depression

Physical: problems with clothing, furniture, travel/mobility, activity, personal hygiene

Psychological: depression, stress or anxiety

Socio-economic: discrimination at work or home.

For more details about health risks, click here.

OBESITY RISKS

  • Gallbladder disease x 6
  • High blood pressure x 5.6
  • Type 2 diabetes x 3.8
  • Osteoarthritis x 2
  • Morbid obesity: Death x 2-12

  

Obesity has become big business in our country.

More than $100 billion are spent in the weight-loss industry, although conservative treatment fails 95% of the time.

According to Time Magazine (June, 2004), Americans spend $117 billion a year on obesity-linked illnesses - and some estimates suggest that figure is closer to $140 billion.

Still, the numbers of Americans who are overweight and/or obese continues to climb. The
Time Magazine is even more aggressive in its count - claiming that two-thirds of Americans are officially overweight - up from half just 20 years ago. The report contends that among Americans who are overweight, 50% are obese and 4.7% are morbidly obese.