Surgeon General: Obesity 'Terror Within'

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Mar 1, 10:24 PM EST

Surgeon General: Obesity 'Terror Within'

By KATRINA A. JACKSON

Associated Press Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- America's obesity epidemic will dwarf the

threat of terrorism if the nation does not reduce the number of

people who are severely overweight, the surgeon general said

Wednesday.

" Obesity is the terror within, " Carmona said during a

lecture at the University of South Carolina. " Unless we do something

about it, the magnitude of the dilemma will dwarf 9-11 or any other

terrorist attempt. "

Obesity rates have tripled over the past 40 years for children and

teens, raising their risk of diabetes and other diseases. For the

first time, Carmona said, children are being diagnosed with high

blood pressure.

" Where will our soldiers and sailors and airmen come from? " he

said. " Where will our policemen and firemen come from if the

youngsters today are on a trajectory that says they will be obese,

laden with cardiovascular disease, increased cancers and a host of

other diseases when they reach adulthood? "

Lowering the nation's obesity rate depends on changing behaviors,

but too many Americans are health illiterate, meaning they cannot

understand medical terms and directions from doctors, Carmona said.

The surgeon general offered few specific solutions but said public

policy reforms would not be helpful in curbing obesity, explaining

that common-sense health decisions cannot be legislated.