. "In the United States, obesity is a major clinical and public health problem causing diabetes, hypertension, and abnormalities in lipid metabolism1,2 as well as higher cardiovascular3- 6 and total mortality.4- 7 Nearly 55% of the US population has a body mass index (BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) of 25 to 30 (overweight) or greater than 30 (obese)." . . . .