American lawmakers treat obesity as a weighty issue

A plan to try to tackle the increasing problem of obesity among America's young people was launched yesterday with legislators calling for a radical approach to promoting health, fitness and better diet.

They also said doctors must do more to tackle weight as a health issue.

Jeff Bingaman, the Democratic Senator for New Mexico, said: "There's a lot of evidence that the lifestyles we have adopted in this country have gotten us into an epidemic of overweight and obese problems. This [bill] was the result of concern that all of us have shared about the rising incidence of obesity among children and adolescents."

It has long been known that American society is expanding at the girth. But the most recent survey by the World Health Organisation found 61 per cent of American adults aged between 20 and 74 were overweight or obese, with a quarter of young people falling into the same category.

Mr Bingaman's bill, known as the Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act, proposes giving doctors and health professionals more trainingon weight issues, funding new parks, bicycle paths and recreational centres, and providing more money for existing exercise and nutrition programs in schools.

The bill calls for $200m (£127m) to fund new and existing programmes.