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Among more than 9,500 Americans surveyed, obesity was associated with higher rates of chronic medical problems and a poorer quality of life than was alcohol abuse, smoking and poverty.

There are also more overweight and obese adults in the US today than there are smokers or problem drinkers, according to findings published in the current issue of the British journal Public Health.

Researchers analyzed data from interviews with adults nationwide regarding their height, weight, income, smoking and drinking habits and chronic medical conditions.

While 36% of respondents were overweight and 23% were obese, about 14% were poor, 6% heavy drinkers and 19% daily smokers.

Americans haven't given obesity the same attention as other risks, like smoking, but it is clearly a top health problem and one that is on the rise in all segments of the population.

These findings reinforce prior recommendations that weight control become a higher national priority, especially given the dramatic increases in prevalence of overweight.

Obesity is highly prevalent and associated with at least as much morbidity in terms of chronic medical conditions and reduction in physical health-related quality-of-life as are poverty, smoking, and problem drinking.

Obesity has also been shown to raise the risk of heart disease, osteoarthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain types of cancer.

The Public Health (June 2001;115:229-2350 revealed that people who smoked throughout their lives and lived in poverty were significantly more likely to have a chronic disease such as asthma, diabetes, arthritis or heart disease. But the effects of smoking and poverty were smaller than those of obesity on both a person's health and quality of life.