Obesity: epidemics or crisis worldwide?

The rapid increase in the level of obesity and overweight worldwide is recognized as a major health problem: obesity poses a major risk for serious dietrelated diseases, including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke and cancer; therefore, it increases the risk of premature death.[1] In particular, abdominal obesity - an increased amount of intra-abdominal fat - has been associated with a number of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, CVD and all-cause mortality [2]. Recent research demonstrated that high BMI values are associated with increased sympathetic activity, which results in decreased Heart Rate Variability (HRV). [3] Obesity can also be related to psychiatric disorders. [4,5] Some research suggests that depression and anxiety might lead to obesity through the adoption of an inactive lifestyle; however, the opposite direction is also possible. [6] The rising epidemic reflects the profound changes in society and in behavioural patterns of communities over recent decades. While genes are important in determining a person's susceptibility to weight gain, energy balance is determined by calorie intake and physical activity [7]. Economic growth, modernization, urbanization and globalization of food markets are just some of the forces thought to underlie the obesity trend. Based on the existing prevalence, trend data and the epidemiological evidence linking obesity with health conditions, it is reasonable to describe obesity as a public health crisis that severely impairs the quality of life, adds to national health care budgets. [8]