Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO 80220, USA.
Clin Chest Med. 2009 Sep;30(3):415-44, vii. doi: 10.1016/j.ccm.2009.05.001.
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with 35.1% of adults being classified as obese. Obesity affects every segment of the US population and continues to increase steadily, especially in children. Obesity increases the risk for many other chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and decreases overall quality of life. The current US generation may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents if the obesity epidemic is not controlled, and there is no indication that the prevalence of obesity is decreasing. Because of the complexity of obesity, it is likely to be one of the most difficult public health issues our society has faced.
肥胖已在美国达到流行程度，有 35.1%的成年人被归类为肥胖。肥胖影响美国的每一个人群，并且持续稳步增加，尤其是在儿童中。肥胖增加了许多其他慢性疾病的风险，包括糖尿病、心血管疾病和非酒精性脂肪肝疾病，并降低了整体生活质量。如果肥胖流行得不到控制，当前的美国一代人可能比他们的父母预期寿命更短，而且没有迹象表明肥胖的流行率正在下降。由于肥胖的复杂性，它可能是我们社会面临的最困难的公共卫生问题之一。
