Obesity is increasing at an alarming rate throughout the world and it is estimated that there are more than 300 million obese people worldwide.
That is the judgment of the International Obesity Task Force established in London in May, 1996. It has stated that obesity is a very serious health condition which needs urgent attention throughout the world.
According to IOTF:
1. Obesity has a number of health, social and economic consequences including high mortality and morbidity rates.
2. Effective weight reductions can reduce the risk of serious health problems.
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3. Obesity has been described as the "last acceptable form of prejudice" among the general public and also among the majority of health professionals.
The organization aims to achieve action on the prevention and management of obesity and seeks an environment that encourages and supports the necessary health policies.
A few countries have started to address the problem. Brazil has recently made a significant commitment to reducing the incidence of obesity. Australia established the National Health and Medical Council on the Prevention of Obesity and is is placing a major emphasis on reducing childhood obesity.
For some reason, physicians and health care leaders in the U.S. have not launched a significant national anti-obesity program of that kind. That may be because they are reluctant to offend the substantial number of people in this country who are suffering all of the problems associated with obesity.
Nevertheless, it is hard to justify a hands-off approach when so many children and adults must endure the damaging effects of this illness. It is hard to justify ignoring a serious illness that is affecting the lives of an increasing number of people every year.
The right course would be to take these steps:
1. Raise sufficient funds to finance a national anti-obesity program designed to benefit those who are obese now and to educate parents and health care workers about how to reduce the incidence of obesity in future generations.
2. People need to know that it is necessary to have a reduced-fat diet and to engage in regular exercise. Such a program should be a part of the curriculum in grade school, high school and college.
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Americans have a well-developed health care system, but it will not serve the needs of the entire population if we fail to treat the obese and fail to reduce the incidence of this illness in future generations.
