Women With Lifelong Obesity Suffering More Illnesses in Senior Years, Says Harvard Study

Cartoon courtesy of the Rotary Club Of NorthRaleigh.

More and more Americans are definitely living longer, but they are also doing it with the help of a lot of prescription medications.

These medical issues have become a common occurrence in American culture. The Harvard School of Public Health in cooperation with Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that in a large study of 17,065 women living until at least age 70, that being overweight at middle-age was associated with having more health problems later in life.

The results showed that only 9.9 percent of the women who lived until age 70, reported being free of major chronic diseases; having good cognitive and physical functions; and having good mental health. These women were defined as healthy survivors.

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Alliance Healthcare Initiative to Provide Families With Assistance in Combating Obesity

Prevalence of Overweight Among Children and Adolescents: United States, 1999-2000. (2002). National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website. Graphic courtesy of Discovery Health CME.NEW YORK – The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, announced the formation of the Alliance Healthcare Initiative, a collaborative effort with national medical associations, leading insurers, and employers to offer comprehensive health benefits to children and families for the prevention, assessment, and treatment of childhood obesity.

“Nearly one in three children in the U.S. is overweight or obese – we are confronting a public health crisis,” said former President Bill Clinton, who will co-lead the AHI with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and American Heart Association President Tim Gardner.

The AHI will enable healthcare providers to be active participants in the decline of obesity by providing children with primary care visits, and visits to registered dietitians as part of their health insurance benefits. Additionally, the AHI will educate parents about childhood obesity and the expansion of services available to their children as a result of this effort.

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