2. 外语
  3. The Obesity is a national health crisis, one that—quite literally—weighs on us all. It costs lives. It costs dollars. And in the

The Obesity is a national health crisis, one that—quite literally—weighs on us all. It costs lives. It costs dollars. And in the

admin2010-11-02  78
问题      The Obesity is a national health crisis, one that—quite literally—weighs on us all. It costs lives. It costs dollars. And in the context of our current health-reform debate in Washington, it’s time we took action, as a nation and as individuals, to address this cost.
     While infectious disease was a disaster recently as our grandparents’ generation, chronic disease is killing us and harming our well-being—and obesity is the root cause. The growth in obesity is strongly linked to heart disease, hypertension, and the explosion of diabetes that our country is currently experiencing. These and other chronic diseases account for 7 out of every 10 deaths each year and are the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. They are also responsible for more than 75 percent of the nation’s health-care spending.
     Year after year, more Americans have become obese or overweight, now representing one third of the population. One in five 4-year-olds are obese, contributing to the fact that for the first time ever, children may have a shorter lifespan than their parents. But the obesity crisis isn’t simply a health crisis; it is also an economic crisis—and the mount that it costs us in terms of lost lives, lost productivity, and lost dollars is staggering and deserves attention from our national leaders, and from us.
     Obesity accounts for nearly 10 percent of what the U.S. spends annually on health care and is linked to about one third of the increase in domestic health spending since the mid-1980s. It is a huge cost driver in Medicare and Medicaid—so even if you or your family members are not obese, you, like the rest of us, are paying for this crisis. Were obesity at 1987 levels, Medicare spending would be $ 40 billion per year lower than it was in 2006. A University of Florida study found that health-care spending for 65-year-old men of normal weight was 6 to 13 percent less over the remainder of their lifetime than those who were overweight or obese.
     At a time when Americans are on tight budgets and Congress is struggling to "find" savings to pay for health-care reform, it’s easy to see why we need to make changes. Policy changes in Washington are a critical part of the solution.  We need common-sense reforms in our health system (such as lowering co-pays on preventive care and offering programs to help overweight Americans), in our schools (such as reinstating physical education and requiring school lunches to meet nutritional standards), in our workplaces (such as offering tax credits to employers that offer wellness benefits and encourage health inside and outside of the workplace), and in our communities (such as ensuring that all Americans have access to a place to be physically active and purchase healthy foods).  
What can we learn about obesity?
选项 A、The children are certain to live shorter lives than their parents because of obesiity.
B、Obesity is the main cost driver in Midicare.
C、Obesity imposes an economic burdon upon Americans.
D、Those obese Americans are paying for the cost of obesity.
答案C
解析 根据题干关键词obesity定位到原文第三段末句：But the obesity crisis isn’t simply a health crisis；it is also an economic crisis—and the amount that it costs us in terms of lost lives，lost productivity， and lost dollars is staggering... 可知肥胖症同时也是经济危机，导致很大的经济支出，故C项符合原文。
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