US Paying The Price For Obesity
By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The numbers are quite staggering. More than a third of Americans are obese.
The estimated annual cost of obesity is $147 billion but the price on our overall health is even greater.
Heart disease and diabetes are on the rise and there is a direct link to obesity. There are additional studies that have linked obesity to arthritis and even certain forms of cancer.
The most dramatic rise in obesity has come between 1990-2010. Researchers have taken a close look at why this is the case and there are several key factors. The first is that people are more sedentary than ever. The latest study found that 55 percent of jobs are sedentary.
In addition, portion sizes are on the rise, there is more processed food and, perhaps most important, we are a nation on the move and don't take time to eat properly.
Clearly this is a trend that needs to be reversed.
