Abstract:Obesity rates in many developed and developing countries around the world are at historically high levels. The WHO predicts that from 2005 to 2015 the number of obese adults globally will rise from 400 to 700 million. Obesity is a known risk factor for several forms of cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and other chronic conditions. High rates of obesity are a current and increasing challenge to the capacity of public health systems around the globe to treat the acute and chronic diseases associated with excess adiposity.