Reprint of: Healthy Weight and Obesity Prevention (original) (raw)
Related papers
Healthy Weight and Obesity Prevention: JACC Health Promotion Series
Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2018
Overweight and obesity have reached epidemic levels in the United States and worldwide, and this has contributed to substantial cardiovascular and other health risks. However, controversy exists concerning the causes of obesity and effective modalities for its prevention and treatment. There is also controversy related to the concept of metabolically healthy obesity phenotype, the "obesity paradox," and on the importance of fitness to protect individuals who are overweight or obese from cardiovascular diseases. In this state-of-the-art review, the authors focus on "healthy weight" with the emphasis on the pathophysiologic effects of weight gain on the cardiovascular system; mechanistic/triggering factors; and the role of preventive actions through personal, education/environment, and societal/authoritative factors, as well as factors to provide guidance for caregivers of health promotion. Additionally, the authors briefly review metabolically healthy obesity, the...
Overweight and Obesity: Prevalence, Consequences, and Causes of a Growing Public Health Problem
This paper provides an overview of the evidence on the current epidemic of obesity in the United States. The prevalence of overweight and obesity now exceeds 60% among US adults, and the rate is rapidly increasing among children and adolescents. Dismal medical , social, and economic consequences are already apparent and likely to worsen without multipronged intervention. Increased rates of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, among other medical conditions, threaten to shorten the longevity of the American populace by as much as 5 years. The incidence of depression is increasing and experts suggest this is linked with the increased prevalence of obesity. The cost of obesity-related medical care has increased astronomically since 1987, in addition to lost productivity and income. Novel multidisciplinary, preventive , and therapeutic approaches, and social changes are needed that address the complex interplay of biologic, genetic, and social factors that have created the current obesity epidemic. KEY INDEXING
Obesity, weight loss, and health
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 1993
AUBII CT: Obesity is a multifactorial, complicated condition or group of conditions that afflicts a growing number of people in the United States. Precise etiologies are not well understood, and both commercial and medical treatment programs are characterized by high rates of recidivism. A cultural preoccupation with slimness has created a huge industry serving millions of people who are attempting continually to reduce weight. Contradictory messages from professionals have led to confusion concerning the health implications of obesity and the potential risks of repeated dieting. This review summarizes the major areas of consensus and controversy concerning the health implications of obesity and weight loss and suggests directions for treatment that take into account the complex causes and consequences of obesity. JAm Diet Assoc. 1993; 93:445-449. oth the lay media and the scientific literature are replete with the latest claims and findings concerning obesity, weight loss, and health. The commercial weight loss industry offers myriad "quick" and "easy" solutions for this most complicated of human health problems. These include a range of options from "miraculous" fat-burning pills to nutritionally balanced, predetermined diet plans and prepackaged food regimens that incorporate varying amounts of behavior management and physical activity training. Medically supervised programs often use liquid very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) in combination with group education to promote substantial weight loss over relatively short periods. The high rate of recidivism in programs of all types has prompted some to suggest that obesity is untreatable and, therefore, that weight loss programs are unnecessary and perhaps even dangerous.
The Obesity Epidemic: Pathophysiology and Consequences of Obesity
Obesity, 2002
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States: more than 20% of adults are clinically obese as defined by a body mass index of 30 kg/m(2) or higher, and an additional 30% are overweight. Environmental, behavioral, and genetic factors have been shown to contribute to the development of obesity. Elevated body mass index, particularly caused by abdominal or upper-body obesity, has been associated with a number of diseases and metabolic abnormalities, many of which have high morbidity and mortality. These include hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, and certain malignancies. This underscores the importance of identifying people at risk for obesity and its related disease states.
Obesity: Prevalence, Theories, Medical Consequences, Management, and Research Directions
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2005
Obesity and its associated disorders are a growing epidemic across the world. Many genetic, physiological, and behavioral factors play a role in the etiology of obesity. Diet and exercise are known to play a valuable role in the treatment and prevention of obesity and associated disorders such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to examine the prevalence, etiology, consequences, and treatment of obesity.
Key issues in the prevention of obesity
British Medical Bulletin, 1997
Obesity is a serious, chronic medical condition which is associated with a wide range of debilitating and life-threatening conditions. It imposes huge financial burdens on health care systems and the community at large. Obesity develops over time and once it has done so, is difficult to treat.Therefore, the prevention of weight gain offers the only truly effective means of controlling obesity. Very little research has directly addressed the issue of obesity prevention and previous efforts to prevent obesity amongst individuals, groups or whole communities have had very limited success. However, we have learned sufficient from past preventive activities to realise that the management of obesity will require a comprehensive range of strategies with actions that target those with existing weight problems, those at high risk of developing obesity as well as the community as a whole. The prevention and management of obesity in children should be considered a priority as there is a high risk of persistence into adulthood. Obesity is a serious medical condition which is associated with a wide range of debilitating, chronic and life-threatening conditions. It imposes huge financial burdens on health care systems and the community at large. The fact that obesity prevalence continues to increase at an alarming rate in almost all regions of the world is, therefore, of major concern. However, despite the potential gains to be achieved from reducing the incidence and prevalence of obesity in a population, surprisingly little attention has so far been given to developing strategies aimed at the prevention of obesity. This chapter examines the key role that prevention should play in the management of obesity and identifies potential prevention strategies and priority areas for action. The rationale behind obesity prevention Dr Timothy p GUI, The rationale behind obesity prevention is several fold. First, obesity Post Graduate Nutrition develops over time and, once it has done so, is very difficult to treat. A and Dietetic Centre, number of analyses have identified the failure of obesity treatments (with
The New Zealand Medical Journal, 2011
This viewpoint is written from the dual perspectives of a metabolic biochemist and a nurse academic who met at the Oxford University Round Table Forum on Obesity in 2008. Forty invited participants from around the world spent a week presenting and debating research and practice in the area of obesity. A unique feature of this forum was that it was cross-disciplinary with participants ranging from those working in public health with a background in medicine, paediatrics, nutrition, nursing, education, policy analysis, behaviour and social sciences, and exercise physiology to those working in the food industry and health insurance. The link between our current affluent lifestyle and increasing obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus and the associated morbidity and mortality is well established.