Biz Development
by Laurus Nobilis

2011
2010
2009
2008

According to the World Health Organization, more than a billion inhabitants of our planet are overweight and 400 million suffer from severe obesity. Two-thirds of adult Americans now overweight or suffer from obesity. Health authorities in the United States are seeking the conference dedicated to obesity epidemic in America.

New research shows that obesity costs the United States 147 billion dollars per year, or 1400 dollars more per year for the obese person, than for a person of normal weight. This was shown by research done by American Centers for Disease Control. The costs are affected by the price of the drugs for diseases associated with obesity such as diabetes. The only way to demonstrate real savings in expenditures for health in the future is to reduce obesity and related health problems.

It is not only alarming number of Americans that exceed the capacity of home scales, but the speed at which this happens. The obesity epidemics affects all racial and ethnic groups, rich and poor and, most dramatic, the American children. Twenty percent of children are obese. Considering that food is everywhere, it is heavily advertised, so weight gain is difficult to prevent.

If you move in the direction of most of people in America, you'll become overweight or obese. It is not the result of genetic changes. What is changing is the environment.

The increase rate of obesity is the greatest cause of diabetes epidemic. The average American's daily intake is 250 calories more than 20 years ago. Imagine, 0,5l of soft drink beverage has 250 calories. The growth rates of obese people are the largest single cause of national epidemic of diabetes. To help in the fight against obesity crisis, public health experts discussed the need of changing habits: Promoting exercise and healthy eating. Federal assistance will be given to local communities in order to encourage shops to offer more fresh goods in poor neighborhoods and provide more fruit and vegetables for school meals. It is true that healthy food is more expensive, since high calorie and low nutrition food cost less than fruits and vegetables, which is difficult to maintain a healthy diet. Also considering that people use more technology, they less travel.

Has the time come to turn the wheel around?