A Nation at Risk: Obesity in the United States

A Statistical Sourcebook from the American Heart Association, the A...

"It’s gut-check time.

Overweight and obesity, especially among children, have emerged as serious threats
to our nation’s health. They have risen rapidly among women, men and children of all
racial and ethnic groups. And this trend is projected to continue.

Obesity is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It also increases
the potential for high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes,
which are each major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other serious health
problems. Recent research suggests that obesity shortens the average lifespan by at
least four to nine months, and if childhood obesity continues to increase, it could cut
two to fi ve years from the average lifespan. That could cause our current generation of
children to become the fi rst in American history to live shorter lives than their parents.

Besides its toll on health, obesity also signifi cantly impacts healthcare costs. The
World Bank has estimated the cost of obesity at 12 percent of the nation’s healthcare
budget. Individuals, businesses and the government all bear the costs for obesity.

We need to take action. Americans must make better food choices and become more
physically active. But the environment can make it more diffi cult for some than others
to make changes. Many studies show that a higher percentage of African Americans,
Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans and people of lower socioeconomic status have
limited access to healthy foods and adequate facilities for physical activity. Attacking
the obesity problem means focusing extra attention upon those at greatest risk.

The first step is to raise public awareness about the serious threat posed by this
growing epidemic and to get information into the hands of those who will act on it.
To do that, the American Heart Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
have created this sourcebook, A Nation at Risk: Obesity in the United States. It shows
how prevalent obesity has become and examines the factors that contribute to the
patterns of unhealthy eating and insufficient physical activity that are at the heart of
this epidemic.

We hope you find this sourcebook useful in broadening your understanding of obesity
in the United States. We also hope you will share this information with others. We
appreciate your commitment to improving health for all Americans — and especially
our children."

As you read this report, keep in mind the importance that organization's such as Iowa Avenue offer, with all of its resources, individuals, tools, and its network provide for real world solutions to help people achieve proper weight-management, or retard and reverse obesity.

Over the course of its short time on the Web, Iowa Avenue's impact has been substantive, dramatic, and will keep growing in importance as people rely more and more on the power of the Internet and Web 3.0 for access to shared content, innovative computer applications, the ability to connect to friends, obtain information and news, get support and feedback, along with expert advice.