The United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is far from the healthiest. Although life expectancy and survival rates in the United States have improved dramatically over the past century, Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high-income countries. The U.S. health disadvantage cannot be attributed solely to the adverse health status of racial or ethnic minorities or poor people: even highly advantaged Americans are in worse health than their counterparts in other, "peer" countries. In light of the new and growing evidence about the U.S. health disadvantage, the National Institutes of Health asked the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to convene a panel of experts to study the issue. The Panel on Understanding Cross-National Health Differences Among High-Income Countries examined whether the U.S. health disadvantage exists across the life span, considered potential explanations, and assessed the larger implications of the findings. U.S. Health in International Perspective presents detailed evidence on the issue, explores the possible explanations for the shorter and less healthy lives of Americans than those of people in comparable countries, and recommends actions by both government and nongovernment agencies and organizations to address the U.S. health disadvantage.

In a world where obesity has now reached epidemic proportions, a thorough understanding of the underlying causes of the problem is essential if society, public health initiatives and government policies are to successfully address the issue. The obesogenic environment describes all the possible influences that our environment presents which encourage overweight and obesity in individuals and populations. Beginning with an overarching introduction to obesity and its implications for health and wellbeing, the book will move on to consider such crucial areas as eating behaviours and food environments, physical activity and the environment, the urban environment, methods, policy and future research directions. Brings together expertise from across a range of disciplines Written by a truly multidisciplinary team of international authors Presents some of the most innovative thinking in the battle against obesity This groundbreaking book brings together for the first time the knowledge of experts with backgrounds in nutrition and dietetics, policy, epidemiology, environmental sciences, medical sciences, town planning and urban design, transport, geography and physical activity in order to offer a multidisciplinary approach to public health, suggesting new and exciting ways to shape our environment to better support healthful decisions.

Promotes the recognition, treatment, and prevention of conditions of overweight and obesity in the United States.

The primary purpose of fitness and body composition standards in the U.S. Armed Forces has always been to select individuals best suited to the physical demands of military service, based on the assumption that proper body weight and composition supports good health, physical fitness, and appropriate military appearance. The current epidemic of overweight and obesity in the United States affects the military services. The pool of available recruits is reduced because of failure to meet body composition standards for entry into the services and a high percentage of individuals exceeding military weight-for-height standards at the time of entry into the service leave the military before completing their term of enlistment. To aid in developing strategies for prevention and remediation of overweight in military personnel, the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command requested the Committee on Military Nutrition Research to review the scientific evidence for: factors that influence body weight, optimal components of a weight loss and weight maintenance program, and the role of gender, age, and ethnicity in weight management.

Presents the State-of-the-Art in Fat Taste TransductionA bite of cheese, a few potato chips, a delectable piece of bacon - a small taste of high-fat foods often draws you back for more. But why are fatty foods so appealing? Why do we crave them? Fat Detection: Taste, Texture, and Post Ingestive Effects covers the many factors responsible for the se

Although cardiovascular disease remains the leading proximate cause of death in the United States, it is now estimated that obesity may be equivalent to smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in America. In light of these statistics, this reference presents our current understanding of the epidemiology, pathology, and genetics of the obe

Obesity continues to accelerate resulting in an unprecedented epidemic that shows no significant signs of slowing down any time soon. The World Health Organization reports that in 2016, nearly 2 billion adults were overweight and that worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. Obesity: Global Impact and Epidemiology is an important tool in proving a link to new knowledge, serving researchers and clinicians. The field of obesity is evolving very quickly and there is an abundance of scientific data that has emerged and is emerging constantly. Researchers and physicians need new updated information about the epidemiology and global impact of obesity that come from authors that have a wide perspective in the field. For health professionals and researchers, there is a need to understand how obesity begins. While a simple question, the answer is very complex. - Serves as a starting point for in-depth discussions in academic settings, leading to revised and updated treatment options for practicing obesity-treatment specialists - Offers practical information about the methodology of epidemiologic studies of obesity - Updated important source of information for clinicians and scientists in the field of obesity

Among the many troubling aspects of the rising prevalence of obesity in the United States and elsewhere in recent years, the growth of early childhood overweight and obesity stands out. To explore what is known about effective and innovative interventions to counter obesity in young children, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Roundtable on Obesity Solutions held a workshop in October 2015. The workshop brought together many of the leading researchers on obesity in young children to describe the state of the science and potential solutions based on that research. Participants explored sustainable collaborations and new insights into the implementation of interventions and policies, particularly those related to nutrition and physical activity, for the treatment and prevention of obesity in young children. Obesity in the Early Childhood Years summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Obesity in childhood and adolescence has reached epidemic proportions in all industrialized countries around the world. Its impact on individual lives as well as on health economics has to be recognized by physicians and the public alike. Among the most common consequences of obesity in the adolescent are hypertension, dyslipidemia, back pain and psychosocial problems. Therapeutic strategies include psychological and family therapy, lifestyle/behavior modification and nutrition education. The role of regular exercise and exercise programs is emphasized. Surgical procedures and drugs used in adult obesity are still not generally recommended for obese adolescents. This book aims to increase physicians knowledge and understanding of obesity in childhood and adolescence as well as to further public awareness of the health burden and economic dimension of obesity at a young age. Several chapters deliver insights into the basic understanding of which factors contribute to or prevent the development of overweight and obesity in young people. Other contributions provide tools for the clinician to manage the care of the child and adolescent with overweight/obesity. In addition, knowledge from the latest scientific studies on the molecular biology of obesity is also presented.