Disease Control Agency Reaffirms Obesity As Major Health Threat inUS
Posted on: Friday, 3 June 2005, 09:00 CDT
Disease control agency reaffirms obesity as major health threat in US
WASHINGTON, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday reiterated that obesity is a major public health threat in the United States, dismissing confusion after a controversial report suggesting that being overweight may not be so bad.
"It is not OK to be overweight. People need to be fit, they need to have a healthy diet, they need to exercise," CDC chief Julie Gerberding told a new conference in Atlanta.
"Obesity and overweight ... have many adverse consequences," she said, including increased risk of heart disease, some cancers, and diabetes.
The CDC chief acknowledged potential flaws in a recent study by the CDC scientists that caused dispute by suggesting that being overweight may not threaten life as much as once thought.
The study, published in April, linked obesity with 25,814 deaths a year in the United States, dramatically lower than the 365,000 deaths estimated just months earlier. It also said the risk of death is 20 percent lower for mildly overweight people in comparison with those who weigh less.
The conclusions have met objections from many scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. They pointed out the study ignored the fact that sick people tend to weigh less because of their health problems, and the study was wrong to include these people.
Gerberding pledged more resources on studying obesity to clarify the issue.
Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS
Related Articles
- CVS Caremark Announces Results of 2009 Health IQ Study
- New CDC Study Shows Tobacco Marketing Influences Kids to Smoke, Underscores Need for FDA Regulation of Tobacco Products
- North American Home Health Care and Disease Management Markets for Remote Patient Monitoring
- Chronic Diseases Need Not Deny a Long Life
- Senator Burr Receives Health Promotion and Disease Awareness Award at National Leadership Summit
- National Minority Quality Forum Recognizes Senator Tom Coburn With Health Promotion and Disease Awareness Award
- Gay and Lesbian Seniors Face Many Obstacles to Proper Health Care: Study
- ValueOptions and Colorado Health Networks Win Administrative Services Only Contract; Social Security Administration's Mental Health Treatment Study Contract Awarded to Westat With ValueOptions and Colorado Health Networks Serving As ASO
- New Data From Women's Health Initiative Study Show No Increased Risk of Coronary Heart Disease With Conjugated Estrogens Alone In Any Age Group Studied
- Middle-Age, Obesity Not a Good Mix, Study Finds
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds