Cruciferous and Cancer Fighting Obesity Declared A National Emergency Experts who recently gathered in Washington D.C. for the first annual conference on obesity and public policy declared obesity a national emergency. More than half of adult Americans, about 97 million, are estimated to be overweight. More than 20 percent of children are overweight, a number that has doubled in recent decades.
Extra pounds are more than unsightly.
They contribute to 300,000 deaths each year. Obesity researchers puzzle over why obesity is at a record high. Geneticists have shown genes are partly responsible for obesity but that weight is also affected by diet and lifestyle. The steep increase in weight gain over the past 20 years cannot be explained by genes. However, studies on activity are crystal clear.