Food. Often, a symbol of protection, wealth, tension relief and comfort has now been twisted into a villain of a terrible condition, a condition that affects one in three adults in America (Raj). The company took advantage of available resources such as media and larger pieces of tableware. Food has been used to lure people, uninformed about the harmful effects of overeating, into the marketing trap of “bigger is better” (Young). Due to the epidemic increase in obesity among Americans, the NEH must fund education regarding portion sizes and obesity. Obesity is defined by the World Book as the condition of having an excessive amount of body fat. This results from an energy imbalance in which an individual consumes more calories from food and drinks than they can burn off. Obesity is a widespread concern that affects the vast majority of Americans. People are considered overweight if their body mass index (BMI) is between 25 and 29.9 and obese if their BMI is greater than 30 (Reinberg). In the past, obesity was generally only a problem in high-income areas; however, it is now one of the fastest growing health problems in America. According to the Center for Disease Control, 27 percent of American adults are considered obese, 37 percent overweight, and 18 percent of children are affected by obesity (Serrano). These percentages show trends in obesity starting in children and continuing through adulthood. Obese children are more likely to become obese adults and develop health problems. NHANES reports that about 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 are obese. Children aged two to five showed an increase in obesity from 5 to 10.4 percent between 1976 and 1980. In 2007-2008, there were 6.5 to 19...... middle of paper ......cents. Indian JournalOf Medical Research (November 2010): 598 Gale, KS State Library. February 24, 2011 Reinberg, Steven “Nearly 10% of U.S. Medical Costs Are Linked to Obesity” ABCNews/Health July 27, 2010. Web. March 1, 2011. Serrano, Elana L. Student of the World Book “Obesity.” World Book, 2011. Web. February 23, 2011 Steenhuis, Ingrid HM. and William M. Vermeer. “Portion size: review and framework for interventions.” » The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. (August 21, 2009): 58 Gale, Kansas State Library. February 24, 2011 “The more they serve, the more we eat…” Health News (July 2006): 6 Health ReferenceCenter Academic. Gale, Kansas State Library, February 24, 2011 Young, Lisa R. and Marion Nestle. “Portion size and obesity: responses from fast food companies.” » Journal of Public Health Policy (July 2007): 238 Gale, KS State Library. February 23. 2011