title: Medical implications of obesity. Losing pounds, gaining years.
abstract: Through thousands of years of starvation and poor nutrition, the human body has become adept at storing scarce nutrients. Today, in the United States and Canada particularly, the combination of sedentary habits and excessive intake of calories is imposing a dual burden on a physiologic system that is ill-equipped to handle it. Unable to rid itself of calories, the body's only defense is to store them all. The end result is obesity, with all its deleterious effects on health and longevity.
authors.affiliation: James A. Haley Veterans Hospital (11C), Tampa, FL 33612.
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Skelton
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Skelton
mesh_terms: D001067:Appetite Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D015391:Gastroplasty; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001067:Appetite Depressants