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 with more than 30
percent body fat are obese. Precisely measuring a person's ....
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