OBESITY
There has been a significant increase in obesity in the United States within the last 2 decades, and excess body weight contributes to the development of chronic conditions in later years.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of overweight or obese persons in the U.
A report by pharmacy benefit manager, Express Scripts, revealed that more U.S. adults are taking prescription drugs than ever before, which accounted for $12 billion in additional spending during 2006 alone.
Obesity is a medical condition that is highly resistant to therapeutic interventions.
A meta-analysis of obese intensive care unit (ICU) patients revealed that obese patients are no more likely to die than other patients while in the ICU; however, they are more likely to stay longer in the ICU and need mechanical ventilation for longer periods than other patients.
In the "no big surprise" category of clinical studies comes a result that was presented at a recent meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity.
For many individuals--especially those who are morbidly obese--diet and exercise, even in combination with drug therapy, are usually not enough to achieve adequate weight loss.
Obesity has become an epidemic on a global scale and poses one of the biggest concerns to human health and well-being.