Currently, over 64 million Americans are obese, and of those Americans, approximately 27 million of them have a BMI of 30-35 and at least one comorbid condition. In addition, obesity is the second-leading cause of preventable death in the United States, second only to smoking. Given its known correlation to life-threatening diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and even premature death, obesity is a disease that requires medical treatment. Indeed, medical research has found that if left untreated those individuals who are currently obese will likely remain obese. In addition, a preponderance of data, published literature and scientific research have found that diet and exercise succeed in only 15-20% of patients at one year, underscoring the unmet clinical need among obese patients for the availability of effective treatment options.

SOURCE Allergan, Inc.