Obesity tops list of health problems in America

Obesity is the number one health threat in the United States today, the head of the leading US federal health agency has announced.

While much of her time is spent preparing to fight anthrax, smallpox, and biological threats, and diseases like SARS and West Nile virus, Centres for Disease, Control and Prevention Director Dr Julie Gerberding, said Americans are much more likely to die from cancer, heart disease, and diabetes caused by smoking, eating too much and exercising too little.

We really have to change our behaviour in astonishing ways if we are going to get over this bottleneck to good health Dr Julie Gerberding, Director of the US Disease, Control and Prevention Centre

"Unfortunately, poor diet and a lack of exercise have almost caught up with tobacco as being the leading cause of death in the United States," Ms Gerberding told a meeting of the National Health Council, which groups companies and non-profit health advocacy organisations.

She cited statistics that show 65 percent of US adults are either overweight or obese. In 2000, 38.8 million American adults were classified as obese, meaning their health is seriously at risk.

"In three states, 25 per cent of adults are obese - not overweight but obese," Ms Gerberding said. The three states are Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia. "It is a catastrophe in our country."

She showed a graph of the leading causes of death in the United States. Heart disease is first, followed by cancer, stroke, lung disease and accidents.

Obesity is a leading cause of the first three and, she said, bioterrorism is nowhere to be seen among the top ten causes of death.