Posted on 03/18/2005 1:11:59 AM PST by ChicagoGuy123
Researchers report that the current obesity epidemic will have a negative impact on life expectancy in the United States.
University of Illinois at Chicago researchers report in the New England Journal of Medicine that obesity will cut between two to five years off life expectancy in the next 50 years.
Currently, the team said obesity reduces life expectancy by up to nine months.
U.S. life expectancy is currently 77.6 years and the predicted decline due to obesity represents more than the impact of cancer and heart disease
Longevity researcher Dr. Jay Olshansky said today's younger generation will have shorter and less healthy lives than their parents for the first time in modern history unless something is done to intervene.
The findings, if proved true could have a real impact on U.S. Social Security. "One of the consequences of our prediction is that Social Security does not appear to be in nearly as bad a shape as we think," Dr. Olshansky said in a prepared statement.
Obesity is associated with an increased risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.
About two-thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese and close to 30 percent of children in the country are considered overweight. The number of children diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. has increased 10-times over the past 25 years.
Easy solution; WHY DON'T WE JUST OUTLAW OBESITY?
Ping.
haha. And I wouldn't be surprised if this was done. I'd guess it's pretty even, though.
heh. We can outlaw self-control, too.
The southern states are certainly BIG & EASY....
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