By some estimates, 25 percent of young people in the United States are either overweight or obese, a figure that has doubled in the last 30 years. In that time, the physical activities in our lives have gone down while our caloric intake has gone up. The U.S. Surgeon General has called the incidence of excessive weight—which unfortunately extends to all age groups including the elderly—a public health crisis. By presenting both real-life case studies and the most current scientific research, this book provides the information young people need to understand the indivisible connection between weight and health.