Obesity: Responding to the global epidemic.

Abstract

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States and other developed nations. In the United States, 27% of adults are obese and an additional 34% are overweight. Research in the past decade has shown that genetic influences clearly predispose some individuals to obesity. The marked increase in prevalence, however, appears to be attributable to a toxic environment that implicitly discourages physical activity while explicitly encouraging the consumption of supersized portions of high-fat, high-sugar foods. Management of the obesity epidemic will require a two-pronged approach. First, better treatments, including behavioral, pharmacologic, and surgical interventions, are needed for individuals who are already obese. The second and potentially more promising approach is to prevent the development of obesity by tackling the toxic environment. This will require bold public policy initiatives such as regulating food advertising directed at children. The authors call not for the adoption of a specific policy initiative, but instead propose that policy research, based on viewing obesity as a public health problem, become a central focus of research.

Cites (23)

1. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin
   2002 · New England Journal of Medicine
2. Positional cloning of the mouse obese gene and its human homologue
   Zhang, Yiying, Proenca, Ricardo, Maffei, Margherita, Barone, Marisa, Leopold, Lori, Friedman, Jeffrey M. · 1994 · Nature
3. Recombinant Mouse OB Protein: Evidence for a Peripheral Signal Linking Adiposity and Central Neural Networks
   Campfield, L. Arthur, Smith, Françoise J., Guisez, Yves, Devos, Rene, Burn, Paul · 1995 · Science
4. Overweight and obesity in the United States: prevalence and trends, 1960–1994
   Flegal, KM, Carroll, MD, Kuczmarski, RJ, Johnson, CL · 1998 · International Journal of Obesity
5. Control theory: A useful conceptual framework for personality-social, clinical, and health psychology.
   Carver, Charles S., Scheier, Michael F. · 1982 · Psychological Bulletin
6. Long-Term Morbidity and Mortality of Overweight Adolescents: A Follow-up of the Harvard Growth Study of 1922 to 1935
   Must, Aviva, Jacques, Paul F., Dallal, Gerard E., Bajema, Carl J., Dietz, William H. · 1992 · New England Journal of Medicine
7. The Association of Changes in Physical-Activity Level and Other Lifestyle Characteristics with Mortality among Men
   Paffenbarger, Ralph S., Hyde, Robert T., Wing, Alvin L., Lee, I-Min, Jung, Dexter L., Kampert, James B. · 1993 · New England Journal of Medicine
8. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY IN THE FIVE-CITY PROJECT1
   SALLIS, JAMES F., HASKELL, WILLIAM L., WOOD, PETER D., FORTMANN, STEPHEN P., ROGERS, TODD, BLAIR, STEVEN N., PAFFENBARGER, RALPH S. · 1985 · American Journal of Epidemiology
9. Dieting and binging: A causal analysis.
   Polivy, Janet, Herman, C. Peter · 1985 · American Psychologist
10. Weight Control and Risk Factor Reduction in Obese Subjects Treated for 2 Years With Orlistat: A Randomized Controlled Trial
    Davidson, Michael H., Hauptman, Jonathan, DiGirolamo, Mario, Foreyt, John P., Halsted, Charles H., Heber, David, Heimburger, Douglas C., Lucas, Charles P., Robbins, David C., Chung, Jain et al. · 1999 · JAMA

Show all 23 references

Cited by (43)

1. The nature of procrastination: a meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure.
   Steel, Piers · 2007 · Psychological bulletin
2. Motivation concepts in behavioral neuroscience
   Berridge, Kent C · 2004 · Physiology & Behavior
3. Weight Bias among Health Professionals Specializing in Obesity
   Schwartz, Marlene B., Chambliss, Heather O'Neal, Brownell, Kelly D., Blair, Steven N., Billington, Charles · 2003 · Obesity Research
4. Food cue reactivity and craving predict eating and weight gain: A meta-analytic review
   Boswell, Rebecca G., Kober, Hedy · 2016 · Obesity Reviews
5. Changes in Perceived Weight Discrimination Among Americans, 1995–1996 Through 2004–2006
   Andreyeva, Tatiana, Puhl, Rebecca M., Brownell, Kelly D. · 2008 · Obesity

See all 599