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Weight loss programs |
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Nearly
two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight, and 30.5 percent are
obese, according to data from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey (NHANES). This fact sheet presents statistics on the prevalence of overweight
and obesity in the U.S., as well as their disease, mortality, and economic costs.
To understand these statistics, it is necessary to know how overweight and obesity
are defined and measured. This fact sheet also explains why statistics from different
sources may not match.
Overweight and obesity are known risk factors for:
diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, gallbladder
disease, osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and bone of joints), sleep,
pnea and other breathing problems, some forms of cancer (uterine, breast, colorectal,
kidney, and gallbladder)
Overweight and obesity is also associated with:
high blood cholesterol, complications of pregnancy, menstrual
irregularities, hirsutism (presence of excess body and facial hair), stress incontinence
(urine leakage caused by weak pelvic-floor muscles), psychological disorders such
as depression, increased surgical risk |
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