Obesity is the second leading cause of unnecessary deaths. Despite its toll taken in death and disability, obesity does not receive the attention it deserves from government, the health care profession or the insurance industry. Research is severely limited by a shortage of funds, inadequate insurance coverage for treatment, and discrimination and mistreatment of people with obesity. In the past, no one has spoken out for people with obesity. The American Obesity Association has been formed to address obesity as a public health concern and to remove the barriers to effective treatment through vigorous advocacy and education.
Obesity is a chronic disease with a familial component.
Obesity increases one's risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease and cancer of the breast, prostate and colon. Health insurance providers rarely pay for treatment of obesity, despite its serious effects on health. Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a mathematical calculation used to determine whether a patient is overweight. This number, however, can be misleading for very muscular people, or for pregnant or lactating women. Being obese and being overweight are not the same condition.