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obesity >>
Obesity is a
World-wide Epidemic Disease
According to World Health Organization (WHO) and Center for
Disease Control (CDC), nearly one third of adults
(61 million) in United States and over 300 million adults worldwide are considered obese. The number of severely overweight
adults is predicted to be more than doubled by the year 2025.
The worldwide incidence of obesity is
increasing. In fact a new word - "globesity" has now been coined to reflect
the escalation of global obesity and overweight. In 1998, the World Health
Organization (WHO) published a report entitled "Obesity: Preventing and
Managing the Global Epidemic", which classified obesity as a growing
epidemic. According to WHO, if immediate action is not taken, millions will
suffer from an array of serious weight-related disorders.
Global Overweight Now
Rivals Underweight
For the first time, the number of
overweight individuals around the world rivals the number who are
underweight. Developing nations have also joined the ranks of countries
troubled by obesity. A 1999 United Nations (UN) survey found obesity growing
in all developing regions, even in countries beset by hunger. In China, the
number of overweight people rose from less than 10 percent to 15 percent in
just three years. In Brazil and Colombia, the figure of overweight is about
40 percent - comparable with a number of European countries. Even
sub-Saharan Africa, where most of the world's hungry live, is seeing an
increase in obesity, especially among urban women. In all regions, obesity
appears to escalate as income increases.
Obesity in the West
In the United States, obesity is the most
common chronic disease, affecting more than 1 in 4 of all Americans,
including children, and its incidence has been steadily increasing for the
past 20 years. In Europe, Australia/New Zealand, the Middle East, and the
remaining portions of the Americas, the occurrence of obesity appears to be
increasing and is now between 10 and 20 percent. The prevalence of obesity
is still fairly low in China, Japan, and many countries in Africa.
References
Obesity, An epidemic
Overweight and Obesity Worldwide now Estimated
to Involve 1.7 Billion People.
Obesity: A Worldwide Issue - Worldpress.org
Children are becoming increasingly
vulnerable to overweight and obesity around the world. At least 155
million school-age children are overweight or obese.
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