This excerpt originally appeared in U.S. News on June 5, 2012.

“It is clear the United States is facing a rising obesity problem. But the challenge remains: We have yet to determine a successful way to tackle it. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the prevalence of obesity among adults more than doubled from 13.4 percent in 1960 to 34.3 percent in 2008.”

"Despite the myriad of studies showing American obesity is increasing, research does not clearly support that government can solve this complex problem."