Essay Archive - Obesity
Obesity
Many Americans are at increased health risk because they are obese. The U.S.
Surgeon General, in a 1988 report on nutrition and health, estimated that
one-fourth of adult Americans are overweight. Obesity is a known risk
factor for chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes, high blood
pressure, stroke, and some forms of cancer. Everyone needs a certain amount
of body fat for stored energy, heat insulation, shock absorption, and other
functions. As a rule, women have more fat than men. Doctors generally agree
that men with more than 25 percent body fat and women wi....
|