ABSTRACT

In 2001, then U.S. Surgeon General Satcher described overweight and obesity as having reached “nationwide epidemic proportions,” noting that approximately 300,000 deaths a year in the U.S. are currently associated with these conditions. Health risks associated with obesity include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, sleep apnea, psychological disorders such as depression, some cancers, and premature death. Dr. Satcher called for the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity and their associated health problems by:

• Promoting the recognition of overweight and obesity as major public health problems • Helping people balance healthful eating with regular physical activity to achieve and

maintain a healthy or healthier body weight • Identifying effective and culturally appropriate interventions to prevent and treat over-

weight and obesity • Encouraging environmental changes that help prevent overweight and obesity • Developing and enhancing public-private partnerships to help implement these goals

Rising rates of overweight and obesity — as indicated by national surveys — impact not only individual health, but also national healthcare costs, levels of work productivity, and social interactions. Advertising, increased snacking and portion sizes, the “built environment,” and lack of physical activity have all been implicated in our escalating national weight. Solutions range from the individual diet to federally implemented education campaigns.