Two-thirds of American adults are currently overweight, obese, or severely obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Rates of childhood obesity have doubled over the past 20 years. Public health professionals warn that the number of Americans suffering from overweight or obesity is steadily increasing at epidemic proportions, and immediate intervention is critical to the health of our country.

            Overweight is the second leading cause (after smoking) of preventable death in the United States.  The leading causes of overweight and obesity in the United States are inactivity and poor eating habits, both preventable behavior patterns.  “Healthy eating and active living should be priorities for this nation”, says the American Public Health Association.

            Americans are less active and heavier than ever before, and Northern Michigan is no exception to this trend.  The proportion of Northern Michigan adults with weights beyond normal increased from 53% in 1995 to 58% in 2000, with 21% now outright obese, compared with 17% in 1995.  Simultaneously, the proportion of adults getting clearly inadequate amounts of exercise nearly doubled in the five years between 1995 and 2000.  Nearly everyone is now either obese or living with someone who is obese.