Obesity Undermining Longevity Benefits in Other Areas

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that:

• The number of obese adults in the United States has more than doubled in the past 25 years.
• The number of obese adults in the U.S. now totals 34 percent of the population or 72 million people.
• Obesity related medical costs totaled $147 billion in 2008.
• Obesity accounts for 5 - 15 percent of deaths in the U.S.

Meanwhile, smoking is related to 18 percent of deaths.

As a result, researchers are starting to see the adverse effects of the obesity epidemic overshadow the longevity-related benefits of the decline in tobacco use over the past 20 years. 

Source: Bloomberg

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