increase. Recent reviews suggest that there is a significant increase in the prevalence of overweight and obese individual in developing countries. The levels of overweight and obesity among women in the East Mediterranean Region and North Africa exceed those in the U.S.A.; and those in Eastern Europe and Latin America are similar to those in the U.S.A. (Chopra Michey, Galbraith Sarah, Darnton-Hill Ian. 2002). In Jamaica 65% of women are considered overweight or obese compared with 31% of men (West Indian medical Journal 1998).
             The W.H.O. world health report also states that there are over one billion adults worldwide who are overweight and at least three hundred million who are clinically obese. Among these about half a million people in North America and Western Europe die from obesity related diseases every year. It is estimated that by 2020, two-thirds of the worldwide problem of disease will be attributable to chronic non-communicable diseases most of them associated with diet (Chopra et al., 2002). The necessity of attacking the problem of obesity has become paramount. Programs have to be designed, based on current research, in an effort to halt the trend.
             Overweight and obese are known risk factors for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and other breathing problems, some forms of cancer (uterine, breast, kidney and gallbladder). Obesity is also associated with high blood pressure, complications of pregnancy, menstrual irregularities, hirsutism (presence of excess body and facial hair), and psychological disorders such as depression. Of the 17 million people in the U.S. with type 2 diabetes, 46% were obese. The prevalence of hypertension in persons who are obese is 41.9% for men and 38.7% for women. On average 25% of obese persons have high blood cholesterol. People whose BMI was over 40 had death rates from cancer that were 52% higher for men and 62% higher for wo...