Morbid Obesity: The Problem
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In our society, morbid obesity is a serious economic, psychological, social, marital, and sexual problem. To laugh at the obese is one of the last generally permitted prejudices of our society. It can negatively affect both personal and professional relationships, and cause severe, even pathological, self-esteem issues. It is also a severe and growing health risk.
According to the World Health Organization, each year 300,000 Americans die prematurely from obesity-related complications. Among lifestyle-related illnesses, only cigarette smoking takes a higher toll. But smoking deaths are declining, while obesity deaths continue to climb. According to a study by the Institute of Medicine, obesity costs the United States about $70 billion annually, in direct health care expenses or in lost productivity.
The percentage of overweight Americans has increased by about a third in the last 20 years, and heavier adults are on the way because more than 25% of today's children are overweight or obese. In this country, 2% of the population are morbidly obese, which is defined as being 100 or more pounds overweight. It is currently the number one self-reported diagnosis on applications made to the Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association.
Morbid obesity is a genetic disease manifested by (1) an impaired satiety mechanism, i.e., the inability to sense fullness after eating, and (2) an abnormal conversion of ingested calories to fat, rather than their dissipation by body heat. As well as being a problem in and of itself, morbid obesity is the harbinger of many diseases involving most of the body systems, including diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, sleep apnea, Pickwickian syndrome (uncontrollable sleep following a meal), low back and disk disease, weight-bearing osteoarthritis of the hips, knees, ankles, and feet, thrombophlebitis and pulmonary emboli, intertriginous dermatitis, gallstones, and cirrhosis and carcinoma of the liver. In women, cancer of the uterus and cancer of the breast are also associated with morbid obesity.
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