obesity

Health and Social Implications

Obesity is a major public health concern because it predisposes the individual to many disorders, such as noninsulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and coronary artery disease, and has been associated with an increased incidence of certain cancers, notably cancers of the colon, rectum, prostate, breast, uterus, and cervix. In contemporary American society, obesity also carries with it a sometimes devastating social stigma. Obese people are often ostracized, and discrimination against them, especially in hiring and promotion, is common.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.