A blockbuster new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that Americans are getting heavier but not taller. This spells disaster not only for our waistlines but also for our health, Dr. Gabe Mirkin tells Newsmax.
It’s also costing tax payers billions of dollars.
"Researchers at Boston University and Harvard reviewed three studies following more than 225,000 adults over the age of 50, for eight to 20 years and found that being even slightly overweight can increase your risk of dying by 6 percent," says the author of "The Healthy Heart Miracle."
The university researchers also reported that people who are obese increase their risk of premature death by 73 percent. Obesity is a term that means your body mass index or BMI is 30 or higher. According to the new CDC report, both men and women are fast approaching the numbers for obesity. Currently the average BMI for men is 29.1 and for women, 29.6. A normal or healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9
"The main causes of death are heart, lung disease and cancers and the more overweight you are the greater your chance of dying prematurely, says Mirkin. Unfortunately, two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese.
A recent study from Spain revealed that women suffer more from being overweight. According to researchers, they are 12 times more likely to develop cancer and five times more likely to suffer from heart disease than women of normal weight.
Researchers reported that men who are overweight are two times more likely to develop cancer than those of normal weight but are not as affected as women by increased risk of heart disease. However, being overweight does increase their risk of dying from heart attacks by 60 percent, according to research by the University of Glasgow
Being overweight is also associated with osteoarthritis of the knee, says Mirkin, who is board certified in sports medicine. Almost one third of those who suffer from this condition were overweight according to a study published in Osteoarthrosis and Cartilage.
Other health risks include:
- high blood pressure
- diabetes
- gallbladder disease and gallstones
- gout
- breathing problems such as sleep apnea and asthma
Rising weight across the country carries risk to more than just individual health says Dr. Jennifer Kraschnewski, an associate professor of medicine, pediatrics and public health service at the Penn State University College of Medicine.
"Medical costs to care for patients with obesity are estimated to be as high as $210 billion per year. In addition, obesity is associated with job absenteeism and lower productivity at work, costing the system more than $6 billion each year."
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