Obesity is a global epidemic and its prevalence continues to increase in many developed and developing countries. This brief review provides an update on the prevalence of obesity in the United States (US) and globally, reviews the underlying mechanism of several comorbidities associated with obesity, and discusses the economic burden of obesity. Although the overall prevalence of obesity in the US is not increasing, racial and ethnic minorities continue to struggle with rising obesity rates. Globally, the largest increases are being observed in developing continues. Given the comorbidities associated with obesity and its immense economic burden, nearly every country will soon struggle with the financial and healthcare implications of the epidemic.

PURPOSE-The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experiences of living with severe heart failure (HF) from the perspective of the partner.METHODS-In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 partners of individual's diagnosed with severe HF. Content analysis was performed to derive the main themes and sub-themes. CONCLUSION-The severity of the patient's disease limited the partner's lifestyle, resulting in social isolation and difficulties in planning for the future for both the patient and the partner. The partner's were unprepared to manage the disease burden at home without consistent information and assistance by healthcare providers. Additionally, end of life planning was neither encouraged by the healthcare provider nor embraced by the patient or partner. RESULTS-ThreeHeart failure (HF) is a debilitating chronic illness characterized by frequent exacerbations in symptoms that result in hospitalizations, high mortality rates, and impaired quality of life (QOL). 1 In 2005, 5.3 million Americans had HF, and approximately 550,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. 1 HF is the only major cardiovascular disease where incidence and prevalence continues to increase each year in the U.S. 1 The treatment of HF requires complex medication and dietary regimens to manage the disabling symptoms: fatigue, shortness of breath, weight gain, depression, and pain. 2

Background Over 82 million Americans have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD), accounting for 32.8% of all deaths in the United States. Although the evidence for the familial aggregation of CVD is strong, the relationship between family history (FH) of CVD, perceived risk for CVD and their relationship to health-related behavior is poorly understood. Objective The objective of this article is to review and summarize the published research on the relationship between a FH of CVD, an individual’s perceived risk, and health-related behavior in order to make recommendations for clinical practice and future research. Methods A literature search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL Plus, and PsycINFO to identify articles that examined the relationship between a FH of CVD, perceived CVD risk, and health-promoting behaviors. A total of 263 unique articles were reviewed. Two hundred thirty-eight were excluded, resulting in a total of 25 articles included in the paper. Results There was a positive relationship between a reported FH of CVD and perceived risk. However, the relationship between a FH of CVD and health-related behavior change and perceived risk and behavior change was inconsistent. Conclusions A person’s awareness of their FH of CVD or their own risk for CVD is not a sufficient predictor of changes in their health-related behavior. Future studies are needed to better explain the processes by which perceived CVD risk or FH of CVD can be used to affect health-related behavior changes. It appears that both FH and perceived personal risk for CVD are necessary but not sufficient conditions to change health-related behavior in high-risk populations. Future studies should also test interventions that help individuals with a FH of CVD attribute increased personal risk to themselves for developing CVD, while providing lifestyle management options to minimize their risk.