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Executive Summary


Americans are regularly warned about the new “epidemic” threatening its citizens: obesity. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has purported that more than 66 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, and that obesity-related deaths top more than 400,000 per year. These alarming statistics are used by politicians to justify new regulations taxes, and government programs that discourage Americans from unhealthy eating.


Before the public accepts bigger government as a solution to obesity, they should take a more measured look at the extent of the problem of obesity and its consequences. Undoubtedly, many Americans may feel healthier if they lost weight. However, a more physically fit America will be the result of more personal responsibility, not big government.