The prevalence of obesity among adults has risen notably in the United States during the past 20 years. The latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that more than 60 million Americans (30%) 20 years or older are obese. The percentage of young Americans who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980; approximately 9 million (16%) children, adolescents, and young adults 6 to 19 years of age are considered overweight . Among individuals with known diabetes, unfavorable upward trends in age-adjusted rates of being overweight or obese were observed between 1994 and 2003. During that time, age-adjusted rates of obesity increased 15.2% (from 34.9% to 50.1%); the state of being overweight or obese increased 10.9% (from 69.7% to 80.6%) . The prevalence of obesity was greater among black individuals than among white and Hispanic individuals