Obesity causing chronic diseases - Boston Children's Hospital - Top 20 Health Challenges

Because of the relationship between obesity and the development of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, today's children could be the first generation that has a shorter lifespan than their parents. Which elements of society (including but not limited to care providers, citizens, government, business, religious institutions, or any other group) should play a role in combatting this problem and what steps should they take?

We participated in the report that made that dire prediction back in a 2005 article in the New England Journal of Medicine. Though overall life expectancy in the US hasn't yet declined, we're seeing increasingly worrisome warning signs. For example, one study reported that adolescents with type 2 diabetes may suffer limb amputation, kidney failure and even increased mortality by age 30. Since this epidemic threatens the health and financial stability of the entire country, all segments of society must play a role in the solution. Arguments made by the food industry, that it's all a question of personal responsibility, are shamelessly self-serving and miss the point entirely.

New England Journal of Medicine: