From: jama.ama-assn.orgjed20082.htmlOpen ↗
Obesity has become pandemic in the United States. Currently, 2 in 3 US adults are classified as
overweight or obese, compared with fewer than 1 in 4 in the early 1960s.1, 2 Although still viewed
more as a cosmetic rather than a health problem by the general public, excess weight is a major risk
factor for premature mortality, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis,
certain cancers, and other medical conditions.3 Obesity accounts for more than 280 000 deaths
annually in the United States and will soon overtake smoking as the primary preventable cause of
death if current trends continue.4 Indeed, obesity is already associated with greater morbidity and
poorer health-related quality of life than smoking, problem drinking, or poverty.5
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Even a moderately elevated BMI is a significant predictor of hypertension and of diabetes in both
whites and blacks, and the incidence rates of these conditions increase similarly in both ethnic
groups as BMI increases.17
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Moreover, mortality is only a small part of the substantial burden of disease caused by
obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, degenerative arthritis, hypertension, angina, and other
nonfatal cardiovascular disease.
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Although powerful social and cultural forces drive the pandemic of excess weight, health care
professionals can help to counteract these trends by educating patients about the serious health
risks of obesity
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