Here’s a guest post about obesity by RN and wellness coach Laura Crooks of You Bloom Wellness:
Americans get fatter each year. We can be so accustomed to seeing overweight people we have lost touch with the problems associated with it. Carrying extra weight is not only uncomfortable but it increases the chance of developing certain diseases and increases your chance of dying:
- > 300,000 US deaths each year are due to obesity (CDC).
- Almost 2/3 Americans are overweight or obese (CDC).
- “Overweight” is a BMI (body mass index) of 25-29.9 (CDC).
- “Obese” is a BMI >30. Check your BMI at http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi.
- Obese people have a 50-100% increased risk of mortality.
- Excess body weight is associated with an increased risk of death.
- Combined, obesity and overweight are the 2nd leading cause of US deaths (tobacco use is #1) (NIH).
- Estimated medical costs for obesity in 2008 were about $147 billion.
- The annual direct medical cost of US childhood obesity is $14.3 billion.
- Obese patients can easily be on eight medications to control cardio-metabolic symptoms of obesity without directly treating obesity (hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, insulin sensitizers, etc.).
- Over 60 diseases are caused or affected by obesity. Here are a few: gout, cataracts, phlebitis, stroke, osteoarthritis, infertility, abnormal menses, high blood pressure, diabetes, congestive heart failure, some cancers (breast, cervical, uterine, prostate, kidney, colon, pancreatic, liver), sleep apnea, hypoventilation, asthma, and gall bladder disease.
- Obesity is a pro-inflammatory state (cellular inflammation causes many chronic conditions).
The American health care system has some barriers to treating obesity:
- Obesity alone is not a billable diagnosis.
- Clinical guidelines for treatment are not widely available.
- There is little support within the health care community for treating obesity.
- There is no obesity disease registry.
- There is no active patient outreach.
- Care for obesity is disjointed and not team based (communication and referrals between dietitians, doctors, support groups).
- Hospital equipment is not designed for the obese (ambulances, blood pressure cuffs, operating tables, scales, wheelchairs).
- Lack of understanding about causes and treatments of obesity.
- The unspoken but present discrimination against the obese.
The prevalence of obesity and its role in so many diseases can make it scary enough to avoid. Which motivates you to keep your weight in check, avoiding the complications or gaining something positive like improved health, appearance and function?
