Being Fat is No Laughing Matter

Excess weight and physical inactivity account for over 300,000 premature deaths each year in the USA, second only to deaths related to smoking, says the Centers for Disease Control. People who are overweight or obese are more prone to develop heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallbladder disease, and joint pain caused by excess uric acid (gout). Excess weight can also cause interrupted breathing during sleep (sleep apnea) and wearing away of the joints (osteoarthritis).

Carrying extra weight means carrying an extra risk for certain types of cancer. "[Our] researchers have concluded that obesity increases the risk for A lot of of the most common cancers globally, and perhaps cancer in general," says Melanie Polk, R.D., director of nutrition education at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), a nonprofit research and education organization in Washington, D.C.

Obesity is a serious problem!

In their review of over 100 studies and international reports on obesity and cancer risk, completed in October 2001, researchers at the AICR concluded that obesity is consistently linked to post-menopausal breast cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer, prostate cancer, and kidney cancer.

To address the public health epidemic of being overweight or obese, former Surgeon General David Satcher issued a "call to action" in December 2001. The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity outlined strategies that communities can use in helping to address the problems. Those options included requiring physical education at all school grades, providing more healthy food options on school campuses, and providing safe and accessible recreational facilities for residents of all ages.