Perspectives on obesity, pregnancy and birth outcomes in the United States: the scope of the problem.

Obesity poses a serious health challenge. In addition to being a serious disease in its own right, obesity has also added fuel to a multitude of other diseases. An increasing body of evidence indicates that obesity does indeed beget obesity: children of obese parents have a strong tendency toward obesity and a multitude of resultant complications. Although preventive measures are, in many cases, relatively straightforward and simple, the vicious cycle of obesity is rapidly spiraling upward as this tendency is passed from parent to child. Judging by the speed of its progression and the toll it is taking, obesity can truly be called America's newest and fastest-growing epidemic.