BODY WATCH : TIDBITS : Excess Poundage Weighs Us Down
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Here are some weighty facts to chew on:
* At any moment, 80 million Americans are trying to lose weight.
* Americans spend $30 billion-$50 billion annually in efforts to lose weight.
* Americans collectively have gained weight over the past decade, with a mean weight gain of about eight pounds.
* The economic costs of illness associated with overweight are estimated to be more than $45 billion annually.
* Overweight has been linked to health problems including heart disease, certain cancers, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure.
* Efforts to lose weight are linked to health problems, including anorexia, bulimia, bone loss in women, drug abuse, nutritional deficiencies, injuries and death.
* Weight cycling (losing weight and putting it back on) is harmful to one’s health.
* Body fat established during childhood influences health status later in life.
Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; National Center for Health Statistics; American Health Foundation; Healthy Weight Journal.
