Smoking has long been considered the greatest modifiable risk factor affecting longevity and quality of life, but it looks like obesity may now be an even greater threat to the health of Americans.
In the the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers from Columbia University and The City College of New York calculate that the quality of life and years lost due to obesity are now equal to or greater than those lost due to smoking.
From 1993-2008 the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the largest on-going state-based health survey of the U.S., conducted interviews of more than 3.5 million people.
09 Jan
Posted by admin as Fitness Training Room
Here’s some scary news: As obesity rates climb and smoking rates decrease, obesity now plays a larger role in our health than smoking. It’s great that we’re not smoking as much, but our weight problems are getting worse, putting us at risk for disease and shorter life spans. In a study published in the researchers determined that smoking declined by 18.5% in the last 20 years, while obesity rates increased by 85%.
As I was reading about this, I had to wonder: Why do obesity rates continue to rise? We talk about it in the news, and, presumably, amongst ourselves. With all the information out there, why are we still gaining weight? I thought of three possibilities:
1.