The issue of obesity, one of the most daunting public health crises of our time, often sees diet drugs heralded as the ultimate solution. However, as science delves deeper into understanding obesity, it becomes increasingly clear that the battle against this multifaceted concern requires far more comprehensive strategies. Here’s why relying solely on diet drugs is an inadequate approach and what alternative or complementary avenues we should explore.
Obesity
The issue of obesity in the United States is multifaceted, and there isn’t a single factor that can fully explain the high prevalence of obesity in the country. Rather, it is the result of a combination of various factors, including:
A disturbing new study conducted by Health Action Council shows millennials exceed older generations in chronic health conditions like diabetes and obesity. We need to focus on emphasizing lifestyle as medicine and stop making excuses for lack of common sense when it comes to obesity.
Nearly half of all deaths from cancer are caused by known modifiable risk factors, with smoking, alcohol consumption, and high body mass index (BMI) among the top three, notes the Union for International Cancer Control. The promise of breakthrough drugs to help people lose weight must not be used as an excuse to avoid tackling the root causes of obesity.
The estimated number of annual deaths attributable to obesity among U.S. adults is approximately 280,000 based on H.R.s from all subjects and 325,000 based on H.R.s from only nonsmokers and never-smokers. As the N.Y. Times recently reported, estimates of the medical cost of adult obesity in the United States (U.S.) range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year. Most of the spending is generated from treating obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among others. And we continue to ignore the dangers largely.
When obesity has become a national health crisis caused by overeating and lack of exercise, a body positivity website has created free “Don’t Weigh Me” cards for patients who find stepping on the scale at the doctor’s office stressful. The group supports a “Health at Every Size” philosophy, based around the assumption that “the current practice of linking weight to health using BMI (body mass Index) standards is biased and unhelpful.” An analysis predicts that by 2030, 48.9% of adults in the United States will be obese, and 24.2% will be severely obese.