Health, Obesity
The triple whammy
Jane Wardle on how environments, genes and behaviour interact to cause obesity – and what psychologists can do about it.
18 April 2005
Obesity is associated with serious health risks. The odds of contracting diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer and arthritis are markedly higher in obese than in normal-weight adults (Bray, 2004). Life expectancy may be reduced by as much as nine years at the highest levels of obesity. Recent estimates suggest that obesity could soon overtake smoking as the primary cause of chronic disease and premature death (Mokdad et al., 2004).
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