Dr. Marie-Ange D. Tardieu replies to the Financial Times re: US healthcare system at a record low among other countries. Is Obesity a culprit?

Yesterday January 8th 2008, The Financial Times reported that the US healthcare system is at a record low when compared to that of other industrialized countries. It ranks 37 0ut of 190 with France ranking first. This report is based on the number of deaths occuring per 100,000 cases of curable diseases. Although the report speculated that this trend is due to a lack of health care coverage, according to Marie-Ange D. Tardieu, MD, a plastic surgeon practicing in New york, a body image and obesity expert, and author of The Elements of Size due to be published this year, the failure to curtail the trend of overweight and obesity is at the core of this healthcare system decline.

"This should not come as a surprise," Dr. Tardieu stated. As early as 2002, the Department of Health and Human Services identified specific health habits in need of disease prevention. These included: diabetes, overweight, obesity, smoking among the many. The department also identified lack of physical activities, overeating, overweight, obesity and smoking as greatly increasing the risks of developing diseases like diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Nevertheless, the trend toward overweight and obesity continued to accelerate as well as the number of related deaths, contributing to the data for the stated Financial Times' report. A number of these death cases were preventable since overweight and obesity are preventable conditions, according to Dr. Tardieu.

In 2002, there were 68 percent American adults who were overweight and obese, as of December 2006, two out of three or 71 percent Americans adults were overweight or obese. This increased trend is associated with an 8 fold increase in the prevalence of diabetic cases diagnosed in the United States when compared to earlier years. According to Dr. Tardieu, obesity is now growing at a rate of 1% per year. With that rate, experts project that by year 2015, 85 percent adult Americans will be either overweight or obese, and by 2040, 100 % adult Americans will be overweight or obese. Aside from diet, exercise and behavior modifications which have been the mainstay for preventing such conditions, is there hope for a cure? Ideas? Concerns? Concepts?

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