The number of overweight children ages 6 to 11 doubled in the last 20 years; in that same period, the number of overweight teenagers tripled. Between 1960 and the present the number of Americans 20 and over who are overweight grew from 45 percent to 66 percent. The number of Americans 20 and over who are obese grew from 13 percent to 31 percent!

How did this tremendous increase in body fat come about? Two major reports were released in the late 1980s which identified saturated fat as the culprit responsible for high cholesterol and clogged arteries. One of those reports was the 1988 Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition in Health. The public was informed that they should reduce their consumption of fat.

It was in the 1990s that food companies provided consumers with 'low fat' and 'light' (or 'lite') products. Remember the 'lite' beer commercials? To produce these low fat products, food companies substituted vegetable fats and sugars for animal fats. But calorie-wise, there was only a minor difference.

Consumers, however, were not educated to consider total calories. As far as they were concerned, 'low fat' meant that the food product was better for their health than the regular version. Almost all consumers, including myself, thought that way. In the 90s the average American did not know that there were good fats and bad fats and good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its dietary guide called the food pyramid to the American public in 1992. The base of the pyramid from which the majority of the food should come from consisted of cereal, breads, rice and pasta (5 to 11 servings.) Unfortunately no distinction was made between refined or simple carbohydrates such as white bread and rice and complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes and brown rice.

That same pyramid had meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts (2 to 3 servings) one level down from the top. At the very top to be eaten sparingly were fats and oils. The American public wasn't told that nuts contain good fats and cold-water fish such as mackerel, salmon, and herring contain omega-3 fatty acids which are extremely beneficial.

So, based on misinformation from the USDA, and low fat products from food producers, the average citizen increased his caloric intake by eating low fat, highly processed carbohydrate laden cookies, crackers and potato chips. He also decreased milk consumption and increased his consumption of diet and regular soda (liquid candy.)

The medical establishment discovered something very strange. More and more people, including children, were getting bigger and bigger. And as their waists increased on the standard American diet (SAD), the incidence of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and strokes kept pace.

Advances in nutritional science and healthy living has corrected to a large extent the USDA's 1992 food pyramid. The revised 2005 version distinguishes between good and bad fats and good and bad carbohydrates. It also includes exercise as an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.

A study was released recently which noted that Americans are not eating enough fruit and vegetables. Fruit juices and drinks and canned fruit in syrup don't count. Refined carbohydrates such as white rice and bread, french fries and of course sodas (regular and diet) still rule among the public. Until these unhealthy food choices are drastically reduced, or even eliminated, Americans will continue growing. This growth will increase the risk factors for chronic degenerative diseases (think cancer, heart disease, etc.) even more and result in even higher healthcare expenditures and costs.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimates that total costs to fight obesity in America is an estimated $117 billion dollars. This figure includes lost productivity and direct health care costs. The foundation says that $14 billion alone is spent on battling childhood obesity.