Obesity As a Health Problem

Abstract

Nowadays, obesity is becoming a major public health and economic issue. In 1997, the WHO declared obesity as a global epidemic. Currently, about one third of the world’s population is overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity is estimated to increase globally due to a number of diseases, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma and metabolic syndrome. Additionally, obesity is associated with increased risk for liver and liver-related diseases, as well as certain types of cancer and certain types of hypercholesterolemia.