According to the Surgeon General, obesity has reached nationwide epidemic proportions. Obesity is defined as excess of total body fat, a result of imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure. In 1999, an estimated 61 percent of U.S. adults were overweight and 13 percent of children and adolescents were overweight.

Obesity can be a degenerative and debilitating disease. The National Institutes of Health reports that obesity substantially increases the risk of morbidity and mortality from:

• Heart Disease
• Diabetes (type 2)
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Sleep apnea
• Cancer
• Breathing difficulties
• Joint problems

Among individuals who are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, 46 percent are obese. Among those with high blood pressure, 38 percent of men and 32 percent of women are obese. And of those diagnosed with high blood cholesterol, 20 percent of men and 25 percent of women are obese. According to the American Obesity Association, obese individuals have a 50 percent to 100 percent increased risk of death compared to individuals of normal weight, with obesity reportedly causing 300,000 to 587,000 deaths each year. This substantial increase in health risks has made obesity the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

Economic Impact of Obesity
The economic impact of obesity in the United States is substantial, estimated at approximately 6 percent of the national health expenditure. As obesity continues to grow, so do healthcare costs. The American Obesity Association estimates that obesity-related costs exceed $200 billon per year in the United States.