As Obesity Rates Rise, Experts Struggle to Explain Why

In the United States of the 1990s, signs of health consciousness are everywhere—except at people's waistlines. Low-fat foods, health clubs, and athletic gear have become multibillion-dollar industries, with Nike and Gatorade seemingly only slightly less ubiquitous than Microsoft. Statistics suggest that this health awareness is paying off. Since the early 1960s, blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels have been dropping, while rates of coronary heart disease mortality have declined by more than half. Given these trends, you might expect to see a trim, well-toned population, but you don't.