Overweight and obesity affect at least 750 million people worldwide and are established risk factors for cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension.
Overweight is an increasingly prevalent conditionthroughout the world. Current estimates, which are probably conservative, indicate that at least 500 000 000 people worldwide are overweight as defined by a body mass index (BMI) of between 25.0 and 29.9 and an additional 250 000 000 are obese with a BMI of 30.0 or higher.1 In the United States, recent data indicate that as much as 66 % of the adult population is overweight or obese.2 Overweight and obesity are established risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, noninsulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM), certain cancers, and numerous other disorders.3,4,5,6,7 It is also a risk factor for hypertension.8 Hypertension, defined as a systolic blood pressure in excess of 140 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure higher than 90 mm Hg, is also a globally increasing public health concern. Roughly 1 billion individuals worldwide are esti-
Harsha et al. (Tue,) conducted a review in Overweight, obesity, and hypertension. Weight loss was evaluated. Overweight and obesity affect at least 750 million people worldwide and are established risk factors for cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension.