Weight management and obesity are a major health problem in the U.S.!

According to The National Institutes of Health, an estimated 97 million adults in the United States are overweight or obese - a condition that substantially raises their risk of illness and premature death. In fact, higher body weights are associated with increases in all-causes of mortality. As the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States today, overweight and obesity pose a major public health challenge. The National Institutes of Health reviewed the research on obesity and determined that being overweight greatly increases the risk for a number of diseases including: heart disease, stroke, certain types of cancer, diabetes, and others. NIH data suggests that the more overweight one is the more likely one is to develop one of these diseases. However, weight loss greatly improves one's chances of preventing these diseases.

The recent Surgeon General's report said 27% of Americans are obese, and 61% are overweight, with those percentages increasing!

Obesity exacts a higher toll on health and healthcare costs than either smoking or drinking as serious obesity-related problems like diabetes are near epidemic levels. The study found that obesity--linked to health complications including diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, stroke and certain cancers--raises a person's healthcare costs by 36% and medication costs by 77%.

Mayo Clinic study shows obesity is directly related to early heart attack.

Overweight heart attack victims were, on average, 3.6 years younger than their normal-weight counterparts when brought to the famed clinic's emergency room. Obese patients were, on average, 8.2 years younger than normal-weight heart attack sufferers. "This study shows that even when other risk factors are taken into account, obesity is directly linked with early heart attack," Mayo Clinic cardiologist Scott Wright said. "As we as a society are putting on excess weight, what looks 'normal' may not be healthy. Our study shows that carrying these extra pounds raises the risk of early heart attack," Wright said. New study shows brain imbalance in obese people. Brain scans show that obese people have fewer receptors for dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps produce feelings of satisfaction and pleasure. Obese people overeat to stimulate the dopamine "pleasure" circuits in the brain. "This is the first scientific contribution that the addictive pathways are deficient in the obese and it may explain their cravings," said Dr. George Blackburn, an associate professor of nutrition at Harvard Medical School. In animal studies ... exercise has been found to increase dopamine levels and to raise the number of dopamine receptors," said study co-author Dr. Nora Volkow.

Diet and Exercise can Reduce Diabetes Dramatically.

A recent study sponsored by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases found that eating less fat, exercising two and a half hours a week and losing a moderate amount of weight reduces the incidence of the disease by more than half among those at risk. Dr. Christopher Saudek, president of the American Diabetes Association and principal investigator for the research done at Johns Hopkins University, said, “I think the take-home message of the study is: diabetes can be prevented.”

If you or someone you care about suffers from one of these problems, you should seek professional help.

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