Already it is among the top five health problems affecting hundreds of millions of people. 

You may be more aware of major global health problems such as AIDS or malaria, yet the problem of obesity is likely to have an even greater impact on public health. 

Overweight and obesity affect an enormous number of people in many countries, and as IOTF projections show, the numbers are continuing to rise to alarming proportions. 

The global impact can be seen in increases in a wide range of serious illnesses from heart disease, blood pressure, diabetes to stroke and some forms of cancer. 

This can be seen emerging very clearly also in many developing countries where so-called western lifestyles are beginning to have demonstrable and damaging effects on health. 
 
Perhaps one of the most disturbing features of this silent epidemic is the rapid increase in levels of childhood obesity. This is of particular concern as many of these children will continue to be obese as adults and suffer even more severe ill-health as a consequence than. 

Until recently obesity has not been taken seriously enough and only now are we really beginning to focus on the medical aspects of this disease. 

The medical and social prejudices towards this disease must be overcome and should not add to the psychological distress already felt by many overweight individuals. It is clear that effective weight loss can result in dramatic improvements in both the health and quality of life of very obese patients. Doctors need to be much more aware of obesity, its consequences and what can be done to improve its management and prevention. 

Prevention is vital. It is the key to our future well-being and is one of the most urgent issues for societies to address.  

I welcome readers to the IOTF's new electronic bulletin and urge them to look carefully at this issue, which explains some of what is being done about obesity in the scientific and medical world, and the aims of the International Obesity TaskForce in asking everyone consider how to tackle with this global epidemic. 

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