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Ouch! • Osteoarthritis currently affects an estimated 27 million Americans. • By 2030, 67 million people will have doctor-diag- nosed arthritis. (Source: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Sleep Apnea “It started harmlessly enough. I felt a little more tired than usual. Sometimes I couldn’t concentrate in class, and my memory seemed off a bit. Then I started nod- ding off during lectures. If the room was warm and the prof droned on, down I went. It’s not my fault , I’d rationalize. The building needs air conditioning, and a

university this size should be able to afford more dynamic teachers. I could come up with an explanation for any symptom. I never saw the pattern.”—Ron, a college freshman “I’ve actually known I have sleep apnea for years; I just haven’t done anything about it. When I was living at home, my dad used to tell me that I stopped breathing during the night and that he would actually count the seconds until I started to breathe again. At the time I thought I was sleeping soundly—I never remembered waking up—so I never gave it a second thought. “Then came college. Every one of my roommates hounded me about snor- ing. Apparently I can bring down the roof with one good nap. So what? I’d

74 / Health Issues Caused by Obesity