Obesity
According to the World Health Organization, there are as many as 1.6 billion people worldwide considered to be overweight, of which at least 400 million are estimated to be obese. In 1980, approximately 15% of the adult population in the United States was obese. By 2002, the obesity rate had doubled to approximately 30% of the U.S. adult population. In addition, a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimated that another 34% of the U.S. adult population was overweight in 2002. We expect that given current trends, many members of this group will become obese in coming years.
The Consequences of Obesity
Approximately 300,000 deaths per year in the United States are associated with obesity according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Excessive body weight is also associated with various physical complications that are often present and exacerbated by the obese condition. Diabetes, cancer, hypertension, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, sleep apnea, liver and pulmonary disease, among others, are seen in greater prevalence among the obese than the general population. In addition, excessive weight has an impact on behavioral or psychiatric conditions that often accompany obesity, including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, chronic pain and insomnia.
The Costs of Obesity
Obesity and these related conditions are believed to cause significant added cost to the health care system. In 2000, the Department of Health and Human Services estimated the overall economic costs of obesity in the United States to be $117 billion. We expect that more effective treatment of obesity may also be a cornerstone in managing its related conditions. Despite the growing obesity rate, increasing public interest in the obesity epidemic and significant medical repercussions and economic costs associated with obesity, there continues to be a significant unmet need for more effective pharmacological interventions.
