Obesity continues to be a serious issue in America, growing at an epidemic rate – almost tripling since 1990. In fact, about every 1 in 3 adults is currently considered obese. It contributes to a variety of issues including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and general poor health. It’s crucial that we take steps to reverse this serious trend.

Obesity is the percentage of the adult population estimated to be obese, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher. BMI, as defined by CDC, is equal to your weight in pounds divided by your height in inches squared and then multiplied by 703. CDC has a calculator for BMI at http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/calc-bmi.htm. The ranks are based on self-reported weight and height from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Obesity is known to contribute to a variety of diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, certain cancers and general poor health (http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/). The medical care costs for treating obesity and obesity-related health issues are overwhelming (http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/causes/economics.html). In 2008, it was estimated that $147 billion dollars was spent on obesity-related direct and indirect medical care costs.