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also pay the price when obese employees take sick leave - up to $2500 per employee. In the future, disability due to obesity will have an enormous impact on the Medicare, Medicaid, and tax systems of the US.

FACT: obesity has a social impact, and vice versa.
Doctors at Harvard Medical School are studying how close ties with friends and family members who are obese put other people at risk for being overweight. Doctors agree that many social, emotional, and psychological factors contribute to overeating or inactivity, leading to obesity, and the effects of obesity can range from mild to severe depression.

FACT: education affects weight management.
The American Obesity Association reports that over an 11 year span, obesity rates for more educated adults are lower than those with less formal schooling. However, all levels have consistently doubled over that time.

FACT: many of the conditions associated with obesity are reversible or can be alleviated through healthy weight loss.
Thousands of Americans have seen an improvement in their weight-related illnesses upon committing to a weight loss program.

FACT: help is available.
Ranging from fitness advice to nutrition counseling to surgery considerations, dozens of weight loss opportunities are available to help overweight and obese people master a healthy lifestyle.

Knowing the facts is one of the first steps to creating an action plan. When you're informed about the problem, solutions become easier to define.

Learn more about this author, Kimberly Dawn Wells.
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