During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States. In 2009, only Colorado and the District of Columbia had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Thirty-three states had an obesity rate of 25% or more. The obesity rate in California in 2009 (the latest figure available), was 24.8 %.

In California, a majority of adults are overweight, according to a study released from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. California’s youth also are affected. More than a quarter of California adolescents, some 970,000 children are obese or overweight.

Counties in the San Joaquin Valley had some of the highest rates for obesity in 2007, about 34% of the region’s residents were obese. The San Francisco Bay Area had some of the lowest rates for obesity, with a regional obesity rate of 18.8%.

Your genetics or environment may play a role in personal weight gain, but the choices you make in eating and physical activity also contribute to your weight. Research has shown that when an individual’s weight increases to reach overweight or obese levels, the risks for the following conditions also increase:

• Coronary heart disease.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon).
• Hypertension (high blood pressure).
• Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides).
• Stroke.
• Liver and gallbladder disease.
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems.
• Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint).
• Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility).