Statistics

• 2/3 of Americans are either overweight or obese

• Obesity and excess weight are a direct cause of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, low back pain, coronary artery disease, stroke, infertility, kidney disease, urinary incontinence, and gallbladder disease

• Obesity and excess weight causes an increase in many cancers, including breast, colon, uterine, stomach, and kidney cancers

• Obesity is now the 2nd leading cause of preventable death – second only to smoking

• Obesity and its complications are responsible for more deaths per year than cancer, AIDS, and all accidents combined

• Breast Cancer and Obesity – a gain of more than 20 lbs. from age 18 to midlife DOUBLES a woman’s risk of breast cancer

• Alzheimer’s Disease and Obesity – 1 unit increase of BMI (approx. 5-10 lb. weight gain) = 36% increase in Alzheimer’s Disease risk

• A child who is overweight has an 80% chance of remaining overweight as an adult

• A child who has two overweight/obese parents has an 80% chance of being overweight himself

• Only 8% of overweight patients have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

• A weight loss of only 10% of a person’s initial body weight results in a 50% reduction in heart attack and stroke