Alternative Approaches to the Problems of Obesity

November 30, 2004

Obesity is an epidemic in the United States today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about two-thirds of American adults (nearly 130 million people) are either overweight or obese.1 These conditions put people at increased risk for serious medical problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, and osteoarthritis. They can also impact people's quality of life, cause disability, and reduce life expectancy.

1The most common tool used in medical settings to determine whether a person is overweight or obese is the body mass index (BMI), a calculation that uses height and weight. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.

However, the BMI may overestimate body fat in people who have a lot of weight from lean muscle (such as athletes) and underestimate the body fat of people who have lost a lot of muscle. Therefore, other factors may be considered, such as a person's waist measurement or his risk factors for obesity-related diseases.

In 2004, the Federal Government put new programs and initiatives into place to address this public health issue--including scientific research on the causes of obesity and on what can be done to help treat and manage it more effectively. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is an active participant in this research effort.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has identified obesity as a priority area for action. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is playing a major role--through scientific research to better understand the forces contributing to obesity, the diseases that can develop from it, and strategies for prevention and treatment. NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., created the NIH Obesity Research Task Force (of which NCCAM is a member), which is charged with speeding the progress of this research. In August 2004, the Task Force released its first strategic plan.

At NCCAM, research on obesity is a priority area. NCCAM Director Stephen E. Straus, M.D., noted, "Obesity results from complex interactions among biology, behavior, and the environment. Therefore, multidisciplinary approaches, not unlike those that characterize much of CAM research, are needed to fully understand, prevent, and treat it."…

Source:www.onlypunjab.com