Part 1 of Essay
Facts concerning Many Americans are at increased health risk because they are obese. The U.S. Surgeon General, in a 1988 report on nutrition and health, estimated that one-fourth of adult Americans are overweight. is a known risk factor for chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, ....

Part 2 of Essay
.... to measure skinfold thickness in several parts of the body. The second involves sending a harmless amount of electric current through a person's body (bioelectric impedance analysis). Both methods are commonly used in health clubs and in commercial weight- loss programs, but results should be viewed skeptically. Because measuring a person's body fat is tricky, doctors often rely on other means to diagnose obesity. Two widely used measurements are weight- for-height tables and body mass index. While both measureme ....