Obesity

Rates of overweight and obesity for American children, adolescents, and adults have increased substantially over the last quarter-century. These increases cut across racial and socioeconomic lines and have been observed throughout the country. Nor are they confined to the United States: similar increases have been observed in a large number of industrialized and developing countries (Ebbeling, Pawlak & Ludwig, 2002). The rise in obesity has profound implications for health outcomes throughout life. Obesity is associated with a range of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Obesity-related health problems not only increase mortality and reduce quality of life, but also result in high financial costs. A study based on data from NHANES III estimates that the direct health care costs of obesity represent 7% of all health care costs in the United States (Kiess et al., 2001).