The Problem of Obesity

• More than 65% (195M) of US adults are overweight and more than 30% (90M) are obese, up from 47% (105M) and 15% (33M) in 1980.
• The obesity epidemic is responsible for more than 300,000 deaths a year in the US, the second leading cause of death.
  Fact: It plays a significant role in high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancers, and many other debilitating conditions.
  
• Obesity costs the US healthcare system more than $93B annually. This does not include the effect on the economy due to lost productivity, missed work, etc.
  Fact: The cost of obesity to North Carolina is $4.9B annually.
• Politicians, the media, and the public are now focused on obesity as a preventable and treatable drain on the US economy through rising healthcare costs, lost productivity, and mortality.
• The $40B diet and fitness industry has yet to provide a practical long-term solution for the problem.
• There is a tremendous market opportunity for a medically-supervised long-term weight loss clinic in the Triangle area.
  Fact: The local obese population is above the national average, awareness of the crisis is at an all-time high, and there is a significant amount of disposable income in the area.