Obesity, often also called excessive overweight. An abnormal accumulation of body fat relative to an individual's ideal body weight. Obesity has been associated with the United States for many decades, but its cause is still unknown. There are many factors such as genetics, various combinations of hormonal, metabolic and behavioral factors that play a role in obesity. In most cases, it is still difficult to determine the exact cause of obesity. This epidemic is increasing throughout the industrialized world. In less than 40 years, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has increased by more than 50%, so much so that two in three American adults are now overweight or obese (Obesity in America, 5). The most obvious consequences of obesity are diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, but cancer, arthritis and depression are other serious health factors. Overall, obesity and overweight account for nearly one in 10 American deaths, and also drain our society of $223 billion a year (Obesity in America, 5). Obesity is something present and dangerous, but people seem to overlook it. There are many factors that can lead to obesity. If a pregnant woman takes a high intake of insulin or gains excessive weight during pregnancy, she may give birth to a baby larger than her gestational age, which in the long run causes obesity. Additionally, overfeeding children can cause them to develop obesity early. This default obesity affects the child's development and growth for the rest of his life. Children of obese parents are about 13 times more likely than other children to be obese, linking obesity to heredity. An unusually large number of fat cells appears to be inherited (Yates, 1909). Also, eating habits, physical condition... middle of the paper... lower body fat percentage than men. On the other hand, women tend to pay more attention to what they eat and how much they consume, while men only eat what they want and when they want. As waistlines have expanded over the past 40 years, Americans have finally started to realize that this is not a healthy lifestyle and that changes need to be made. In recent years the phenomenon of organic foods, healthy eating and physical exercise has been triggered. More and more people are eating healthier foods, exercising more and trying to maintain a healthy weight. They range in age from young children who are taught a healthy lifestyle at school and by their parents, to working adults who take the stairs and eat salad for lunch, to older adults who take longer walks and play tennis. It seems that America has finally woken up from this nightmare and started taking positive steps towards healthier living.