Obesity Catches Up With Smoking

Reported January 06, 2010

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- With smoking rates declining and obesity escalating in the United States, obesity is now an equal if not greater threat to national disease burden and the shortening of healthy life as smoking.

Researchers at Columbia University and The City College of New York say years of life lost to obesity are now equal to or greater than those years lost to smoking.

From 1993 to 2008 the proportion of smokers declined in the United States by 18.5 percent, and the proportion of obese people increased by 85 percent. Data collected from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which serves as the largest ongoing state-based health survey of healthy adults, was analyzed. Researchers found 0.0438 QALYs were lost to smoking and 0.0464 QALYs were lost to obesity. Smoking had a greater impact on deaths while obesity had a greater impact on illness.

"Although life expectancy and QALE have increased over time, the increase in the contribution of mortality to QALYs (Quality-Adjusted Life Years) lost from obesity may result in a decline in future life expectancy," study authors wrote. "Such data are essential in setting targets for reducing modifiable health risks and eliminating health disparities."

SOURCE: American Journal of Preventative Medicine, February 2010