Research shows that the current obesity epidemic in America may be causing more public health problems than smoking.
Researcher Haomiao Jia, PhD, of Columbia University, and colleagues looked at nationwide annual health-related quality-of-life surveys conducted between 1993 and 2008. They specifically analyzed the Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) lost due to smoking and obesity during this time period. They found that obesity was responsible for a greater amount of lost QALYs than smoking across the general population.
From 1993 to 2008, the proportion of smokers among U.S. adults declined by 18.5%, while the proportion of obese adults increased 85%. Researchers noted that smoking had a bigger impact on deaths, while obesity had a bigger effect on illness.
There is no doubt that smoking is a health risk that should be avoided. However, public health officials are concerned that the general population may be less educated about the health risks associated with obesity, and may therefore be at greater risk for the serious health complications associated with being overweight.
"Because of the marked increase in the proportion of obese people, obesity has become an equal, if not greater contributor to the burden of disease than smoking," said Haomiao Jia. The researcher went on to add that, "Such data are essential in setting targets for reducing modifiable health risks and eliminating health disparities."