Obesity is a Biiiig Problem

This Forbes article lists several causes of obesity and their impact. Here are a few interesting observations from the article that might be relevant to our research:

• Obesity currently accounts for 2% to 6% of many countries' total health budgets.
  
• While it may be possible to develop new drugs to help regulate appetite and control energy intake, their relatively high costs mean use of medicines alone never will become a sustainable long-term solution.
  
• Today, people are no more gluttonous than previous generations, nor is their biology significantly different; rather, society has altered.