The need to lose weight is, or should be, a concern for many - where ever they live.
Obesity: the public health challenge of our time
While the report (extract below) is now several years old it remains relevant today. If two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese how is this wave of obesity to be addressed? If this is the American experience other developed countries are likely to have the same issue, making the article widely applicable.
While the authors look at the issue from both an individual and a public perspective each one of us can take responsibility for our own health and manage our weight, chosing to lose weight and maintain the weight loss if required.
The full article is available at:
M.T. Bassett & S. Perl, Vol 94, No. 9, American Journal of Public Health, September 2004.
Extract: “Obesity has become the public health issue of the day—and for good reason. The data outline a dismal picture and a more foreboding future. The prevalence of obesity has doubled in adults and children and tripled in adolescents over the past 2 decades. Two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Each year in the United States, 400 000 deaths and $117 billion in health-care and related costs are attributable to obesity.
There is little debate over how an individual person becomes obese: she eats more calories than she expends. Rather, debate rages over how entire populations have become obese so quickly. Sedentary lifestyles, calorie-dense foods, large portion sizes, and excessive television viewing are among the identified contributors.
Which side of the equation is most to blame? There is no doubt that physical activity levels have declined. The “eat more” influence of the food industry on nutrition and health also has been documented (see, e.g., Nestle M. Food Politics. Berkeley: University of California Press; 2002).
There is debate over whether increasing physical activity and improving nutrition are matters of individual behavioral change (eat better, exercise more) or environmental change (add bike paths, ensure the availability of fresh produce). While both are important, limited resources dictate that choices be made.
The sad truth is that when it comes to helping individuals lose weight, public health professionals, health care providers, and the diet industry have all been woefully unsuccessful. Long-term success stories are few. Stories of weight regained abound. “
