The Threat of Obesity. The Need for Change.

Obesity is not a choice; it's a disease affecting more than 70 million American adults, of which 15 million are severely obese (100 pounds or more overweight).1,2 Obesity is a serious health threat and burden on our healthcare system:

• Obesity is a disease that requires medical treatment given its known correlation to life-threatening diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and others.3
• Annual costs of overweight and obesity are estimated at $147 billion per year, representing 10% of all U.S. medical expenses.4
• Costs related to overweight and obesity could account for 16%-18% of all U.S. healthcare costs in the next 20 years.5

If we don't change the way we view and address the obesity epidemic, these numbers will continue to climb.
The roadblocks

Unfortunately, as a society – and even as obese individuals – we don't fully understand the nature of obesity and what it takes to create change.



Common misconceptions about obesity include:

• Severely obese (100 pounds or more overweight) people choose to be this way – they're lazy and they lack will power.
• Exercise and diet should do the trick for everyone.
• Weight-loss surgery is a last resort or a sign of failure.

The truth is:

• Obesity is NOT a choice — medical research now indicates obesity has more to do with science and the biology of fat, rather than will-power or discipline.6
• Diet and exercise alone does work long-term – just not for everyone – like some who are severely obese.
• Most people 100 pounds or more overweight have tried multiple diet and exercise programs, without long-term results.7
• Research studies show that for many people who need to lose at least 100 pounds, diet and exercise alone fail 95% of the time after five years.7
• By dieting alone, many obese individuals regain as much as two-thirds of the weight within one year, and almost all of it within five years.8
• Weight-loss surgery is proven more effective than diet and exercise alone for those 100 pounds or more overweight.9,10
• Medical research has shown that significant weight loss may improve – or even resolve – diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions.11,12

These eye-opening facts shed light on the complexity of the obesity epidemic and the need for multiple solutions to truly change how we view obesity and how we overcome this public health threat. The three critical solutions to overcoming the obesity epidemic are: Prevention, Diet and Exercise, and Weight-Loss Surgery – and the C.H.O.I.C.E. Campaign is advocating and urging consumers, healthcare professionals and Congress to support all three.

Prevention
9 million children are obese in the United States. Prevention and educational programs are critical to ensure obese children do not become obese adults and to prevent healthy weight adults from becoming obese.13
Diet & Exercise
For the approximately 97 million adults in the United States who are overweight14, diet and exercise is the recommended treatment to help them lose and maintain a healthy weight.
Weight-Loss Surgery
15 million Americans are 100 pounds or more overweight and the medical research has found weight-loss surgery, combined with diet and exercise, is the only long-term effective treatment.2