Obesity and cardiovascular risk: the new public health problem of worldwide proportions.

Obesity could be considered a new global health epidemic above all others, especially when it is characterized by central fat distribution. This is illustrated by dramatic provisional data, indicating a continuous increase in the trend of overweight and obese individuals in several countries, including the USA and countries in Europe. Several epidemiological, pathophysiological and clinical studies clearly indicate that two of the major independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease or events are being overweight, and obesity. Accordingly, weight loss and prevention of weight gain has to be considered one of the most important strategies to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.