ABSTRACT
I. Introduction The past few decades have witnessed a significant increase in the prevalence of obesity worldwide. Although the problem initially gripped industrialized nations, it has rapidly expanded to less developed nations and is having far-reaching public health and economic implications (1). The problem of excess body weight is of concern not only in adults but also in adolescents and young children. Data from the 2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) show that approximately 34% of adults in the United States are overweight and an additional 31% are obese (2). Longitudinal data from the NHANES cohort indicate that the prevalence of obesity in U.S. adults continues to rise (3). It is well established that being overweight or obese increases the risk for a number of chronic conditions, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, and depression (4,5).
