2. Obesity is the abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual’s ideal body weight. Obesity is associated with increased risk of illness, disability, and death.

3. Obesity is known to be a major risk factor for breast cancer in postmenopausal women. It also may determine the rate of breast cancer cell growth and tumor size.

4. One hundred years ago, the average person ate less than 10 pounds of sugar per year. Today, the average person in the U.S. eats over 100 pounds per year. Currently, sugar intake represents 50% of a person’s carbohydrate intake for the day. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 10% of a person’s diet should come from sugar.

5. Even fat-free food can be rich in sugar. In many cases, manufactures will replace fat calories with sugar calories so the food remains desirable to the palate.

6. Obesity can cause a condition called “buried penis,” in which a penis of normal length is buried below the surface of the pubic skin or within its own excessive shaft skin. This condition can cause other problems, including chronic infections, skin breakdown, and chronic inflammation.

7. Obesity can strain muscles in the pelvic area, which can weaken muscles, contributing to vaginal prolapse.

8. Child safety seat manufacturers have begun to make bigger models after a recent study showed that over 250,000 U.S. children age 6 and under are too fat to use the standard models.

9. According to an online survey by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, nearly half of the 4,000 people surveyed reported that they would give up a year of their life rather than be fat.

10. In 2000, airlines spent $275 million on 350 million additional gallons of fuel to compensate for the additional weight of their passengers.

11. As of 2006, there were more people in the world who are overweight than malnourished.

12. At least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese. Although once associated with high-income countries, obesity is also becoming prevalent in low- and middle-income countries.

13. Globally, more than 1.4 billion adults were overweight in 2008. More than half a billion were obese. The World Health Organization estimates 2.3 billion adults will be overweight by 2015 and has declared obesity a worldwide epidemic.

14. Globally, over 40 million preschool children were overweight in 2007.

15. Obesity and overweight issues are linked to more deaths around the world than underweight issues.

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