Close to 20% of American adults were considered obese in 2000, and the prevalence of obesity in the United States is increasing. The costs of this epidemic are enormous, accounting for approximately 9.4% of health care expenditures in the United States. 1. Mokhad A.H. Bowman B.A. Ford E.S. Vinicor F. Marks J.S. Koplan J.P. The continuing epidemics of obesity and diabetes in the United States. JAMA. 2001; 286: 1195-1200 Crossref PubMed Scopus (2243) Google Scholar