Glenn Gaesser

In the following viewpoint Glenn Gaesser argues that obesity does not cause many of the health problems commonly associated with being overweight, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Rather, these diseases are caused by an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, in Gaesser’s opinion. Gaesser maintains that a thin person who rarely exercises and eats high-fat foods is less healthy than an overweight person who exercises regularly and eats plenty of fruits and vegetables. Thus, according to Gaesser, lifestyle, not body fat percentage, determines how healthy a person is. Gaesser is a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Virginia.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What is the number one cause of death in the United States, according to the author"
2. As noted...