The report highlighted the widespread nature of obesity and its significant medical effects. The NIH estimates that 300,000 deaths in the U.S. each year are due to obesity related illnesses.
Obesity ranks second only to smoking as a leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States.
BMI is based on height and weight. A normal BMI is considered to be between 18.5-24.9. Obesity related illnesses include type II diabetes, hypertension, lipid disorders, coronary heart disease, carpal tunnel syndrome and certain cancers, such as breast, endometrial, prostate, and colon. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that the optimal BMI in terms of mortality is 24 in men and 23 in women. As the BMI gets further away from these values, either higher or lower, mortality increases.