The
cost of obesity
A newly released (3/12/02) RAND study shows
that health care and Rx costs of obesity are greater than
smoking or problem drinking. The health risk status of obesity
equals the effects of aging from 30 to 50 years old. Full story... »»
Obese
and overweight population prompt "Call to Action."
The dramatic increase in overweight and obese
individuals in the US can no longer be ignored. The problem
is serious, and may override health gains won over years of
hard work. It is nearing the devastation of cigarettes as
a preventable cause of death and disease. Obesity among adults
has doubled since 1980, while overweight among adolescents
has tripled. In the year 2000, the total direct and indirect
costs attributed to overweight and obesity amounted to $117
billion. Full story... »»
Eating
out (more) often?
Most American adults are, an average of 4
times a week, leading to higher consumption of fat and calories,
and lower consumption of fruits and vegetables according to
Environmental Nutrition (May 2001). continued... »
Quitting
smoking harder for women than for men
A review of numerous research studies focusing
on smoking cessation has concluded that while women may suffer
greater relative risks of smoking-related diseases than do
men, they tend to have less success than men in quitting smoking.
Dr. Kenneth A. Perkins from the University of Pittsburgh School
of Medicine who conducted the review offers several reasons
for this disparity in a paper published in the May 2001 issue
of "CNS Drugs". complete
article »
Heart
Disease Remains Leading Cause of US Deaths
Death rates from coronary heart disease began
to decline during the 1960s, but the decline has slowed since
1990, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
said. "We're still a sedentary society. We still eat
foods that are high in calories and high in fat. We still
smoke a lot. A lot of Americans have not gotten their high
blood pressure under control,"... complete
article »
News and other articles of interest
Overweight and obesity
increase pose serious threat | Heart
Disease Remains Leading Cause of US Deaths | Health
Promotion heads to Capitol Hill | Rx
from nation's "Top Doc" | Gardening
as a Community Builder
|
