We find that, contrary to the views of health experts, most Americans are not seriously concerned with obesity, express relatively low support for obesity-targeted policies, and still view obesity as resulting from individual failure rather than environmental or genetic sources.—J. Eric Oliver and Taeku Lee, Public Opinions and the Politics of America's Obesity Epidemic (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, 2002)

To date, the United States is losing the battle against overweight and obesity. More Americans than ever before are overweight and obese, and by their own admission, more people are gaining weight than losing it. Gallup Poll data collected in July 2003 revealed that more than one-third of Americans said they had gained "a little" weight, and 9 percent admitted they had gained "a lot." Although Americans spent in excess of...