Obesity rates in the U.S. are growing exponentially. There is no question. By 2020 over 25 states will have obesity rates greater than 30%, doubled from 30 years ago. Worse, during that same time frame the rate has more than tripled in children. By 2030 over half the population will be obese! Obesity is associated with increased risk of cancers such as esophagus, breast, colon, kidney and thyroid to name a few. Chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease have escalated over the years causing serious economic issues. Imagine what 2030 will bring if these rates continue.
People are looking for a single answer to weight problems. Spending over $100 Billion a year in weight loss products and supplements does not seem to improve the obesity rate. Why? Because there is NO single diet or pill that will cure this country’s obesity rate. Most diets and over the counter pills worsen your overall metabolism. New FDA approved diet pills only serve to feed into the issue of obesity. Doctors are overwhelmed. Traditionally physicians do standard lab tests, tell the patient everything is normal and make recommendations to eat less and exercise more. This is advice you can get at the gym. It is good basic advice but you should expect more from your doctor. Much more. Worse, your doc may write a prescription for a diet pill that has known serious side effects and only serves to worsen your metabolism. People more and more are beginning to consider weight loss surgeries that have significant long term health issues and actual death rates. Does this make any sense to anyone? This is a real trend. The national numbers prove it. What can you do to change that? Find a physician that knows how to not only obtain the proper functional labs for a full physiologic evaluation, but who can interpret those labs to optimize your health and make specific and individual recommendations to improve your health.
To your health, DrG.
