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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2: Obesity Leads to Shorter Lifespans

Statistics released last month showed that the average life expectancy in America had hit a record high of 77.6 years. This follows the trend of longer and longer lifespans for American people over the past 200 years. It has always been assumed that this age would just keep rising because of better medical care and nutrition. But a special report released on Thursday, March 17, in the New England Journal of Medicine has concluded that Americans could actually reverse this trend because of the rapid increase in the incidence of obesity.

Two out of three adults in America today are considered to be overweight. Thanks to an increase in junk food and fast food consumption, along with a decrease in physical activity, childhood obesity has also increased dramatically in the past 25 years. Today, 25 to 30 percent of children are overweight. Researchers, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, predict that this rise in obesity will actually lead to shorter lifespans over time.

The researchers stated in their report that being obese can shave a minimum of 4 to 9 months off of a person’s life. Unfortunately, if the trend toward obesity--especially in children--is not stopped, average life expectancy could decrease by 2 to 5 years in the near future.

This dramatic decrease is due to the fact that we have not yet fully seen the physical consequences of the higher obesity rates in kids. Obesity is linked to problems such as an increased risk of cancer and heart disease, diabetes and kidney problems.

The researchers state that there has to be a “fundamental shift in the social environment that will support healthful eating and an active lifestyle. While the campaign must be led by government; it will require the active participation of primary care physicians, nutritionists, schools and parents.”

--Written by Kristine Thornley

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