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Review
. 2012 Oct;37(5):730-2.
doi: 10.1007/s00261-012-9862-x.

Causes of obesity

Affiliations
Review

Causes of obesity

Suzanne M Wright et al. Abdom Imaging. 2012 Oct.

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity has been rising steadily over the last several decades and is currently at unprecedented levels: more than 68% of US adults are considered overweight, and 35% are obese (Flegal et al., JAMA 303:235-241, 2010). This increase has occurred across every age, sex, race, and smoking status, and data indicate that segments of individuals in the highest weight categories (i.e., BMI > 40 kg/m(2)) have increased proportionately more than those in lower BMI categories (BMI < 35 kg/m(2)). The dramatic rise in obesity has also occurred in many other countries, and the causes of this increase are not fully understood (Hill and Melanson, Med Sci Sports Exerc 31:S515-S521, 1999).

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