Obesity: America’s Epidemic

In Brief The health risks of overweight and obesity have been well documented. For example, even a 15-lb. weight gain increases a person’s risk of diabetes by 50%. In turn, losing as little as 11 lbs. can reduce a person’s risk of diabetes by the same percentage. Why, then, aren’t more Americans losing weight? This article explores the rising incidence of overweight and obesity in the United States, the reasons so many people fail to lose weight or maintain a weight loss, and the potential for nurses to turn the tide on this epidemic. The health risks of overweight and obesity have been well documented. For example, even a 15-lb. weight gain increases a person’s risk of diabetes by 50%. Why, then, aren’t more Americans losing weight and keeping it off?