Introduction: obesity and lifestyle issues in women

To the dismay of clinicians and public health professionals, obesity rates remain high and fundamentally unchanged among women and girls in the United States. The latest data show that 34.9% of adults and 16.9 % of youths are obese. There are marked racial and socioeconomic disparities in obesity in the United States with no appreciable improvements. Although regional variations exist, physical inactivity rates are as high as 43%. Fruit and vegetable consumption was higher in women compared with men, however, the rates remain quite low (36.1% fruit >2/d, 30.9% vegetables >3/d). Obesity impacts health outcomes across the reproductive lifespan.