ABSTRACT
Overweight and obesity are increasing worldwide in all age groups (Flegal et al. 2002; Kuczmarski et al. 1994; McLellan 2002; Vorster 2002; Walker et al. 2001), especially in children and young adults (Ebbeling et al. 2002). Due to alterations in life-style (mainly nutrition and patterns of physical activity), overweight and obesity are also emerging problems in Third World countries. Large differences in the mean body mass index (BMI) as well as the prevalence rates of obesity are found between rural and urban areas-a clear indication of the pathophysiological importance of environmental and lifestyle factors. Presently, two in three U.S. adults are overweight or obese (Flegal et al. 2002). An increased body weight is associated with an increased risk of death and shortening of life expectancy (Lee et al. 2001; Peeters et al. 2003).
