The two most recent Surgeons General of the United States, David Satcher MD, PhD and Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, respectively 16th and 17th US Surgeons General, jointly urged policymakers to take direct action on obesity and its associated chronic diseases by including obesity as a key element in healthcare reform.

• Health reform will succeed only if we address obesity and the chronic diseases it causes, said Robert Kushner, MD, President of The Obesity Society. Obesity is the number 1, most serious health issue facing the country. It is also the largest single driver of our increasing healthcare costs and we need to address it now.

• More than one third of US adults — more than 72 million people — and 16 percent of US children are now estimated to be overweight or obese. Obesity and overweight are associated with several chronic health risks and conditions, including: diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, some types of cancer, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and gallbladder disease.   Furthermore, the medical costs of obesity are now estimated at more than $147 billion per year.

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