|
Smoking or obesity, which is more harmful?
According to a recent Rand study, although smoking does a body great
harm obesity can trigger have more and more serious health consequences
than smoking.
The Rand study based its findings on a survey of 10,000
adults. The survey is now four years old. But even four years ago, obesity
was skyrocketing while smoking rates were decreasing. The Rand study
showed that fat people have 30 to 50 percent more chronic health problems
than heavy smokers and drinkers.
Obesity rates in the U.S. nearly doubled in the 1990's -- from 12 percent
in 1990, to 23 percent in 1998 when the survey was done. Smokers made
up 19 percent of the population in 1998.
The most devastating health risk for obesity is type II diabetes that
can lead to heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputations and
more. But even without developing type II diabetes, obese people are
vulnerable to arthritis and strokes. It all adds up to a poor quality
of life and high medical costs.
The study, released earlier this month, ended with an ominous warning,
diabetes type II is now near epidemic levels, obesity is already a national
epidemic.
Resources
March 30, 2002
|
