Overweight and obesity have become epidemic in the United States and worldwide (1). Data from the National Center for Health Statistics indicate that the prevalence of obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or more, increased from 12.8%in the years from 1976 to 1980, to 22.5% in the 1988 to1994 interval, to 30% in the 1999 and 2000 interval. Approximately 31% of US adults, about 59 million people, are considered obese, and more than 64% meet the criterion for overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) (2).