Obesity in America

Obesity in America

Obesity in Denver, CO

I’m recently back from the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) annual meeting which was held in conjunction with The Obesity Society (TOS). Therefore, I’m always inspired by new concepts and observations that are collectively made among my colleagues. So, I’d like to share a little of what I have learned through the next few blogs that I post.

Obesity in America. 2013

It’s reported that obesity in the U.S. has leveled off over the past few years. Therefore, The Center for Disease Control (CDC) still estimates that 78 million Americans suffer from the disease of obesity. That’s 35% of our population. Moreover, The ASMBS estimates that 24 million people suffer from morbid obesity. As of 2012, no states in the U.S. have an obesity rate lower than 20%; Colorado remains the lowest with an obesity rate of 20.5%. The CDC anticipates that obesity rates will continue to rise with an increase to 42% by the year 2013.

The medical community

The medical community is starting to come alive about this issue. The American Medical Association (AMA) in June 2013 recognized for the first time that obesity is a chronic disease.

With this increasing awareness, the risks of obesity are becoming better understood. Body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 is the definition. Moreover, People with a BMI greater than 30 have an increased risk for premature death and are predisposed to 40 diseases and health conditions.

This is the state of obesity in 2013–a chronic disease that causes so many other medical conditions and cancers to occur. The good new is that there are safe and effective treatments, including weight-loss surgery which I will review in my next blog. If your BMI is over 30, now is a good time to start to research your treatment options.

We have made this process very easy for our patients. We realize their pain and the problems they have been facing. So our institute and team have tried its best to make things and the whole process easy. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to call our office at 303-861-4505 or visit our website.

Dr. Tom Brown
Colorado Bariatric Surgery Institute



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