Super-size-it suicide.

• Author: Veneman, Ann
• Position: Medicine & Health

"Nearly two out of three Americans are overweight or obese, a 50% increase from just a decade ago.... More than 400,000 Americans will die this year from causes related to obesity, which is poised to overtake smoking as the leading cause of preventable death.... "

NO SINGLE INDIVIDUAL or group can go it alone when it comes to an effective, coordinated response to obesity. Each of us has a vital and unique role to play in battling this epidemic. It is a fight that Pres. George W. Bush personally believes in and supports through his Healthier US initiative, which is based on four pillars: good nutrition, physical activity, preventive health screenings, and avoiding risky behaviors.

By now, we all are well aware that the situation has reached crisis proportions, and every new statistic lends additional urgency to our efforts. I am especially concerned for our children, because once young people are overweight, the battle is harder to fight. It is more likely that an overweight child will become an overweight or obese adult.

Nearly two out of three Americans are overweight or obese, a 50% increase from just a decade ago. Among children, about one in six is overweight. For some minority groups, those numbers are even higher. For example, in Hispanic children, about one in four boys and one in five girls are overweight. More than 400,000 Americans will die this year from causes related to obesity, which is poised to overtake smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in this country.

Obesity does not strike with the sudden and life-threatening urgency of a heart attack or stroke. It is a major risk factor for the conditions that cause them. Obesity is not diagnosed in a life-altering moment of truth like cancer. Yet, it is linked to the increased incidence of many types of cancer. Obesity is not generally thought of as a condition that requires daily medications, such as diabetes or arthritis, yet it strongly correlates to those and other chronic medical conditions. Moreover, there are disturbing and increasing reports of children who have become amputees because of complications from diabetes. In fact, obesity even is changing our language. What used to be known as "adult-onset diabetes" now most often is referred to as Type II diabetes, because so many overweight children currently suffer from it.

In a grim way, obesity also is a growth industry, as products such as wider seats in theaters, stadiums, and cars, the booming diet business...