U.S. News & World Report Looks at Obesity in America
The current cover story in U.S. News & World Report examines the increasing number of overweight Americans and the health risks associated with obesity. Last December, the U.S. surgeon general released a report stating that 34% of American adults were overweight and 27% were obese in 1999. And earlier this month, the Framingham Heart Study found that obesity doubles the risk of heart failure in women and increases a person's risk of developing Type II diabetes. Although the increase in obesity has been linked to the popularity of video games, fast food and the "decline of the family dinner," James Hill, a nutrition researcher at the University of Colorado, said, "The primary reason America is fat is that we eat too much compared to our activity level" (Spake, U.S. News & World Report, 8/19). The full article is available online.
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