The holiday season is over, but Christmas cookies and cocktail parties have taken their toll. It can mean the difference between life and death. A serious weight problem contributes to many chronic, life-threatening conditions, including diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease. Morbid obesity is aptly named.
Morbid obesity is most prevalent in inner cities, and affects many more women than men.
An estimated 55 percent of inner-city women are obese. The ratio of obese women to men is approximately 9 to 1 in urban areas, and 3 to 1 in suburban areas. Ironically, inner cities are the places where people can least afford to participate in weight-loss programs. For the very overweight, carrot sticks, iceberg lettuce and fat-free salad dressings are not the answer. Ninety percent of them give up because losing the weight takes too long.