WASHINGTON, Jun 22, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- U.S. physicians, health
organizations and nutrition experts are asking President Barack Obama to create
a Presidential Commission to combat obesity.
In a letter to the president, the experts say the approach of the United
Kingdom's anti-obesity strategy could serve as a model for a similar effort in
the United States. Those who signed the letter include: the Center for Science
in the Public Interest, the American Diabetes Association, American Public
Health Association, National Consumers League, Partnership for Prevention, Shape
Up America, Trust for America's Health, United Fresh Produce Association, and a
number of state-level organizations.
"The increased rates of obesity will negate many of our nation's investments in
healthcare and could actually condemn youths to shorter life spans than their
parents," the letter states.
"Each year, obesity causes tens of thousands of premature deaths and tens of
billions of dollars in avoidable medical costs. Obesity also leads to
heart-wrenching psychosocial problems, such as difficulty making friends,
stigmatization, and discrimination in employment."
Obesity leads to about $95 billion a year in medical expenditures, half of which
are paid through Medicare and Medicaid. These costs are fueled by obesity rates
that have increased in both children 6-19 and adults by 50 percent in the last
20 years, Michael Jacobson, executive director of the CSPI, says.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International