閱讀理解第二十六篇：Obesity:the Scourge of the Western World
Obesity is rapidly becoming a new scourge of the western world, delegates agreed at the 11th European Conference on the issue in Vienna1 Wednesday to Saturday. According to statements before the opening of the conference _ of 2,000 specialists from more than 50 countries 一 1. 2 billion people worldwide are overweight, and 250 million are obese.
Professor Bernhard Ludvik of Vienna General Hospital said，“ Obesity is a chronic illness. In Germany，20 per cent of the people are already affected，but in Japan only one per cent. ” But he said that there was hope for sufferers thanks to the new scientific discoveries and medication.
Professor Friedrich Hopichler of Salzberg said, "We are living in the new age (but) with the metabolism of a stone-age man.2" “I have just been to the United States. It is really terrible. A pizza shop is springing up3 on every corner. We have been overrun by fast food and Coca-Cola-ization. ”4
Many of the experts stressed that obesity was a potential killer. Hopichler said, “Eighty percent of all diabetics are obese，also fifty per cent of all patients with high blood pressure and fifty per cent with adipose tissue complaints. ” "Ten per cent more weight means thirteen per cent more risk of heart disease. Reducing one's weight by ten per cent leads to thirteen per cent lower blood pressure. ”
Another expert Hermann Toplak said that the state health services should improve their financing of preventive programs. "Though the health insurance pays for surgery (such as reducing the size of the stomach) when the body-mass index5 is more than 40. That is equivalent to6 a weight of 116 kilograms for a height of 1.70 meters. One should start earlier. ”
Ludvik said that prevention should begin in school. “ Child obesity (fat deposits) correlates with7 the time which children spend in front of TV sets. ”
The consequences were only apparent later on. No more than fifteen per cent of obese people lived to the average life expectancy8 for their population group.
譯文：肥胖症——西方世界的災禍
週三至週六，在維也納召開的有關肥胖症問題的第11次歐洲會議上，代表們一致同意，肥胖症 正在迅速成為西方世界的`災禍。共有來自50多個國家的2,000位專家參加了這一會議，會議於開始時宣佈：全世界有12億人體重超重，而2. 5億人肥胖。
維也納總醫院的Bemhard Ludvik教授說：“肥胖症是慢性病。德國20%的人已經患有肥胖症， 而日本卻只有1%。”但是他說，多虧了新的科學發現及藥物，肥胖症患者有了希望。
薩爾茨堡的Friedrich Hopichler教授說：“我們正生活在新時代，可是卻是石器時代人類的新陳 代謝。”“我剛去了美國，情況的確很糟糕，每個角落都有比薩餅店開業。我們已經深受快餐食品和 可口可樂化的侵害。”
許多專家強調，肥胖症是潛在的殺手。Hopichler說:“80%的糖尿病患者肥胖，而髙血壓和脂肪 組織疾病患者伴有肥胖症的都各為50%。” “體重增加10%意味著患心臟病的危險增加13%。體重 減少10%可導致血壓降低13%。”
另一名專家Hermann Toplak說政府的健康部門應該加大對預防專案的資助。“當體質指數大 於40時，儘管是由健康保險支付手術費(諸如縮胃手術)，但體質指數大於40時相當於一個身高 1. 70米的人體重達到116千克。應該提早啟動預防工作。”
Ludvik說:預防應從學校做起。“兒童肥胖症(脂肪堆積)與兒童用來看電視的時間有關。” 造成的結果只是在以後才顯現的，僅有15%的肥胖者活到了其所屬人群的平均預期壽命。
