Reece E Albert
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Jan;198(1):23-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2007.06.076.
Obesity poses a serious health challenge. In addition to being a serious disease in its own right, obesity has also added fuel to a multitude of other diseases. An increasing body of evidence indicates that obesity does indeed beget obesity: children of obese parents have a strong tendency toward obesity and a multitude of resultant complications. Although preventive measures are, in many cases, relatively straightforward and simple, the vicious cycle of obesity is rapidly spiraling upward as this tendency is passed from parent to child. Judging by the speed of its progression and the toll it is taking, obesity can truly be called America's newest and fastest-growing epidemic.
肥胖对健康构成了严峻挑战。肥胖本身就是一种严重疾病，此外还引发了许多其他疾病。越来越多的证据表明，肥胖确实会导致肥胖：肥胖父母的孩子极易肥胖，并会引发许多并发症。尽管在许多情况下，预防措施相对简单直接，但随着这种肥胖倾向在父母与子女间代代相传，肥胖的恶性循环正迅速加剧。从其发展速度和造成的损害来看，肥胖堪称美国最新且增长最快的流行病。
