Association Between Obesity and Psychiatric Disorders in the US Adult Population

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Abstract
The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity is a major public health concern. Among US adults, prevalence of obesity (defined as a body mass index [BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters] of ≥30) increased from approximately 23% in 1990 to 31% in 2000.1 Similar increases were seen for men and women, across all age groups, and across all racial/ethnic groups.1,2 More recent data indicate no decline in obesity rates between 2000 and 2002.2 Given the expected increases in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other adverse consequences of obesity, increasing obesity rates are expected to produce an unprecedented decline in life expectancy in the United States.3