Obesity Crisis

Obesity rates in the United States are at record highs, a trend that costs the country billions of dollars each year in medical expenses and lost productivity. Experts cite a range of causes, including sedentary lifestyles, ads that aggressively market fattening food to children and hormonal factors that doom many diets to failure. A number of studies link excess weight to heart disease, diabetes and other health problems, but some nutritionists say people with obesity often live long, healthy lives. Experts also debate the value of taxes on junk food and sugary beverages, with some saying such steps unfairly punish people living in areas where healthy food is often unavailable. As obesity rates rise, many health professionals are calling for a new way to measure body fat, saying the formula in use now is imprecise and misleading. Pentagon officials, meanwhile, say the obesity epidemic threatens military readiness, as increasing numbers of would-be recruits are deemed too overweight to serve.