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| | THE MERCK MANUAL, Sec. 1, Ch. 5, Obesity |
 | | Among women, obesity is strongly associated with socioeconomic status, being twice as common among those with lower socioeconomic status as it is among those with higher status. |
 | | Many of the metabolic disorders of obesity are believed to be caused by abdominal visceral fat, which leads to an increased concentration of free fatty acids in the portal vein and, consequently, to decreased hepatic insulin clearance, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and hypertension. |
 | | For persons with very severe obesity (BMI >; 40) and those with less severe obesity and serious or life-threatening complications, surgical procedures are the treatment of choice. |
| www.merck.com /pubs/mmanual/section1/chapter5/5a.htm (2511 words) |
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