 America is facing an epidemic of obesity among its youth. In the last seven years, there has been a 50 increase in the prevalence of obesity as defined by a Body Mass Index BMI 30 kgm2. For the morbidly obese adult, which is defined as having a BMI 35 kgm2, mortality is increased by 152 to 279. In a Veterans Administration study of obese 25-34 year old males, there was a 13-fold excess mortality rate over 712 years. 