The expanding obesity problem.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Brief article

During the past 20 years obesity in America has increased dramatically. As of 2005, 60.5 percent of adults were overweight and 30 percent were obese. (A person is considered obese with a body mass index of at least 30, overweight is a BMI between 25 and 29.9.) Obesity increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, arthritis, breathing problems, and some forms of cancer, including endometrial, gallbladder, cervical, ovarian, breast, colorectal and prostate. Medical costs attributable to obesity were $75 billion in 2003, and approximately half of these costs were paid by taxpayers through Medicaid and Medicare. Together, overweight and obesity affect about 66 million Americans and account for 9.1...