The Hill News

A half century ago, well under 15 percent of Americans were obese or extremely obese; these days, more than a third of us fall into these categories. That astounding statistic tells all of us â€" parents, community leaders, educators, businesspeople and policy makers â€" to stop merely talking about how to address obesity at home and across America, and instead take action.
 
Between 1980 and 2000, obesity among children in the United States more than doubled, leaving more than a quarter of 18 to 24 year olds who want to serve our country in the military too overweight to join. The health consequences of obesity are so great that many epidemiologists predict that for the first time in U.S. history, our children’s generation will live shorter lives than their parents. This epidemic is taking an enormous toll on our nation’s fiscal health too:  Obesity is one of the leading contributors to rising health care expenses in America, costing an additional $168 bi! llion each year.
 
This week, a new study commissioned by the Campaign to End Obesity and authored by two highly respected conservative economists, Michael O’Grady and James Capretta, warns that, without targeted efforts to prevent the rise in obesity-related health care costs, the budgetary burden of obesity could overwhelm federal spending in the not-too-distant future. Under even the most optimistic scenario, the Congressional Budget Office tells us that spending on adult obesity will increase another 60 percent by 2020. That is why, as the study makes clear, we must look to programs that generate the highest returns on our investment to help reverse the tide.

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