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Why are so many dieters doomed to fail? There are many causes for obesity. They include overeating, medication side effects, emotional stress, and many others. However, once a person has become obese or accumulated excessive amounts of abnormal fat, elimination of the causes does not result in weight loss. Likewise, dietary restriction does not result in the loss of abnormal fat deposits. Through many years of experience I have found that the best way to bring about permanent weight loss is to address imbalances in the hypothalamus to cause the mobilization of fat in abnormal fat deposits. This is most effectively accomplished by following the Dr. Simeons HCG Protocol. How many Americans are overweight or obese? 34 percent of U.S. adults are considered overweight, and an additional 31 percent (approximately 60 million) are obese. Combined, approximately 127 million Americans are overweight or obese. In 1962 13 percent of Americans were obese, and in 1980 15 percent were obese. About 45 percent of women and 25 percent of men are trying to lose weight at any one time. How do physicians define overweight versus obesity? Overweight: Anyone with a body mass index (BMI) (a ratio between your height and weight) of 25 or above (e.g., someone who is 5-foot-4 and 145 pounds) is considered overweight. Obesity: Anyone with a BMI of 30 or above (e.g., someone who is 5-foot-4 and 175 pounds) is considered obese. Morbid obesity: Anyone with a BMI of 40 or above (e.g. someone who is 5-foot-4 and 233 pounds) is considered morbidly obese. "Morbid" is a medical term which makes reference to the fact that risk of obesity related morbidity (illness) is increased dramatically at this degree of obesity. It is important to consider that individuals with a normal BMI may have abnormal fat deposits in their face, arms, chest, abdomen, hips, or thighs. Therefore, although they are normal weight by conventional medical standards they are clinically overfat, meaning that they have abnormal fat deposits and that they may be a candidate for weight reduction treatment. How is the body mass index calculated? Body mass index (BMI) is calculated by dividing a person's body weight in kilograms by their height in meters squared (weight [kg] / height [m]2). Why do bariatric physicians use the body mass index? 1. A higher body mass index is associated with a higher percentage of body fat. 2. A higher body mass index is associated with a higher disease risk. How many deaths are attributed to obesity each year? 300,000 people die each year due to obesity-related causes, making it the second-leading cause of death after smoking. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. How many children are obese? About 10 percent of children ages 2 through 5, 15.3 percent of children ages 6 to 11, and 15.5 percent of adolescents (ages 12 to 19) are obese. How much do we spend on obesity? Americans spend more than $33 billion a year on weight loss products and services. However, the economic cost of obesity in the United States was about $117 billion in 2000. Healthcare costs of American adults with obesity amount to approximately $100 billion. Which health conditions are associated with obesity? Being overweight or obese increases the risk of:
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© 2008 Fred Bloem, M.D. |