America's Most Severe Health Issue: Obesity

Filed in archive Opinion on April 29, 2007

Not according to me, but according to most physicians as revealed by the "2007 Obesity Report" from Epocrates, Inc.:

• 52 percent of physicians believe that more than half of their patients are overweight


• nearly 90 percent of physicians believe that the percentage of overweight patients has increased in the past five years despite greater attention on the issue


• more than 40 percent of the respondent physicians stated that they are not addressing the subject of obesity with all of their patients

The "2007 Obesity Report" is a nationwide survey of physicians on public health issues and the increasing rate of obesity in America.

According to Dr. Liviu Klein, M.D., M.S., the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, Northwestern University Hospital:

"This survey shows how pervasive obesity is across the nation, and how crucial it is for physicians to educate their patients about its risks. Studies show that excess weight puts undue strain on vital organs and can lead to a multitude of serious health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Education around the negative health effects of smoking has dramatically decreased adult use of tobacco in the last 20 years, and we hope awareness around the obesity-related co-morbidity risks will have a similar and more immediate impact."

To view some of the candid comment that the respondent physicians made and to read the full survey results, click here.

Find more details from the full report.