Almost two out of three Americans over the age of 20 are overweight, and many of these men and women are overweight to the point of being obese. By any standard, this is a public health crisis -- and it's growing worse. Even more alarming, the percentage of children and adolescents who are overweight has more than doubled since the early 1970s.

A variety of factors play a role in obesity. Individual behaviors, environmental factors, and genetics all may have an effect. But whatever the cause, the consequences are alarming. Overweight and obesity have been found to be significantly associated with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis, and generally poor health.

This is NOT a weight-loss website. On this site, you will find the latest information about the causes of obesity, the consequences of obesity, the impact of obesity, new approaches and drugs designed to deal with obesity, and what the government and medical community are doing about this crisis.