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Key Findings

1. Obesity in the U.S. population has been increasing steadily over the past two decades — and severe obesity is increasing the fastest.
2. Obesity is linked to higher health care costs than smoking or drinking, and plays a major role in disability at all ages.
3. The explosive increase in bariatric surgery has had no noticeable effect on the prevalence of severe obesity.
4. The cost consequences of disability among the young could swamp recent Medicare and Medicaid savings stemming from increasingly good health among the elderly.

America appears to be in the midst of an obesity epidemic. Should we care?